Jersey Surf Front Ensemble Technique Packet

Welcome
Thank you for your interest in the Jersey Surf Front Ensemble. This technique packet is meant to give you a brief overview of the basic concepts of being in the Jersey Surf!s Front Ensemble. The information contained in the following pages will be explained in detail over the course of the season.

Stretching
Prior to every rehearsal\performance, you will stretch as an ensemble to prepare you body and mind to perform. Start stretching from the ground up, stretch you legs, back, shoulders, arms and neck. Finally and most importantly, stretch your hands wrist and fingers. Below you can find diagrams of the most common stretches that will be used.

Approach
When you approach any instrument, approach the instrument with confidence and purpose. You may not feel as if you are the most talented player, however an aura of confidence will help you mentally approach the instrument. The most common error in approach to an instrument is posture. When you approach an instrument, stand up straight with proper body alignment and weight distribution. You will typically play keyboard instrument with your feet shoulders width apart and you weight resting on the ball of your feet. Your feet will be pointed out at a 45-degree angle so that you can shift your weight while moving to play musical passages with extended ranges. Never center your weight over your heels, this will limit your mobility and change your posture.

GOOD

BAD

Grip
To hold the mallet you grip the mallet between the pad of your thumb and the second joint if your index finger. This connection is called the fulcrum and the mallet should hinge on this connection. Next you wrap your remaining fingers around the shaft of the mallet. The fingers are meant to control the path of the mallet and not affix the mallet in your hand. There should be about an inch of the shaft extending from the base of the grip. The mallet should always have room to breath in your hand. Never over grip the mallet, this will cause a choked sound and may cause muscular problems such as carpal tunnel and tendonitis.

Stroke Types
The Legato stroke is a basic and essential part of any good percussionist!s technique. It can be applied in almost any type of passage and in most situations you should strive to have a fluid legato motion to your stroke. The best way to think about this stoke is to think of how a basketball bounces. It starts in an upward position and is dropped into the playing surface and rebounds almost automatically to the position it came from. Most strokes will start from a desired height and return to that height. Think of this stroke as a connection between point A and point B. The motion of the mallet is initiated from the head of the mallet, in other words the mallet head is the first part of the mallet to move. The motion of the mallet is generated by using the wrist to raise and lower the mallet to and from the playing surface. This is a wrist-generated stroke. Other stroke types such as staccato, marcato and dead strokes will be implemented and detailed as they are called for in a musical passage.

Height System
A height system will be implemented to provide uniformity and musicality to our program. To properly achieve the height system, yours hands will have to be set up correctly to the keyboard. The bottom of you palm should be about 2!! above the board at all time. A

proper setup to the keyboard will allow for every player to feel the height system in the same way.

The height system is as follows.

1!! = PP angle. 3!! = P 6!! = MP 9!! = MF 12!! = F 15!! = FF

Mallets head at a slight downward Hands parallel to keyboard. 1\4 turn of wrist. 1\2 turn of wrist. 3\4 turn of wrist. Full wrist extension.

Accent to Tap
To play accent to tap passages, a working knowledge of the height system will be crucial. To play a passage that has accents at 12!! and taps at 6!!, you must start 12 inches to initiate an accent and 6!! inches to initiate a tap. To play an Accent followed by a tap you will need to control how far you bring the mallet head back after playing an accent. One of the best ways to practice accent to tap relationships is on a pillow. The pillow will not recreate a rebound like a pad. The lack of rebound will force you to return the mallet to the tap height much like on a real keyboard.

Four Mallet Techniques

The main four-mallet technique that will be used is the Stevens Grip. The technique will be detailed at winter camps and during the season. The decision to use Burton grip will be made in reaction to the demands of the musical style. Below is a general overview of the Stevens grip taken from www.vicfirth.com. The various stroke types that are associated with Stevens grip will be detailed through out the season. Leigh Howard Stevens is the person for which this technique is named. He is also the author of the book, "Method Of Movement." This book is HIGHLY recommended and should be studied

throughout ones career as a marimbist, no matter how intermediate or advanced the player. Access to a marimba 24 hours a day is not necessary. Much of what we will be doing to begin with can be done effectively on the floor! This is an important fact that is often overlooked. We'll start with the inside mallet. Begin by holding out the right hand parallel to the ground as if you were to shake someone's hand. Place the base of the inside right mallet underneath the muscle of the thumb and allow it to rest on the index finger close to the third joint. Without any tension or constraint, the mallet should balance with the leverage between the base of the thumb and the index finger. Now for the outside mallet. In the right hand, place the mallet between the middle and the ring finger. Next, bring the ring and pinkie fingers around the mallet as to secure it with the fingers. Adjust the mallet until the end of the shaft is sticking a quarter of an inch out from the pinkie finger and the edge of the hand. Check to see that the mallet is tucked in the curve of the second joint of the ring finger, and is slightly above the second joint of the middle finger. It's important that you keep yourself from "choking up" on the shaft of the mallet with the back two fingers. This is a very common mistake! Gripping close to the end allows the stick to be used to its maximum potential. Careful attention to the details in the beginning stages of holding four mallets will save you and your teacher much pain and suffering! Now let's see if we can put both mallets in one hand at the same time! Begin by placing the outside mallet between your middle and ring finger, then add the inside mallet between the thumb and index finger. Let the thumb rest on the inside mallet. In no way should you pinch or squeeze the mallets with your fingers! This produces excess tension in the hand. Also, avoid letting the thumb curl up by raising the second joint. Strive to have the largest surface of the thumb (rather than the tip) resting on the mallet. Simply place the thumb on the mallet and you will be in good shape. Your hands should be positioned in the "American" Grip. This is a modification, or middle ground between French and German Grip. In other words, avoid having your palms completely horizontal or vertical. Without this you will not be able to reach the full potential of this grip.

Finally, repeat this entire process in your left hand. You will most likely need to spend more time in the left hand, (assuming you are right handed). I'd recommend that you spend some time with the Stevens grip in your strong hand before moving on to the other. This enables you to use the strong hand as an example for the weaker hand.

Equipment Maintenance
-All instruments should be covered up when being transported or

stored. -Mallets should never be placed on the ground. They should be in a mallet bag when not in use. -Keep all equipment clean and free of debris at all times. -If you see something breaking please inform someone. -Keep track of all equipment at all times. -Do not over-tighten any wing nuts of hardware. Over-tightening will cause the bolt to strip and the piece of equipment will be useless. -Never place an item on top of a keyboard or on a timpani head. - Pull Timpani by the post and not the rim. - When transporting any instrument with wheels always listen for scrapping sounds. -Never run with a piece of equipment -Do not overplay any instrument. All instruments have a point at which they will not produce any more sound despite your best efforts. -Use common sense when dealing with all instruments. Equipment maintenance and transportation is a huge part of being in a front ensemble.

5 Note
5 Note

5 3 & 4 8

3 5 5 J 8 &8 4 5 2 & 8 j 4 & &2 4 c 2 4

5&9
13

16

Practice with a metronome Play at all tempos and heights. Do not rush the space in between scale passages In 5&9 strive for a connected even crescendo. Do not let shaping affect rhythmic accuracy.

6-3-2-1
j 3 # & 4 # # #
ect.....all the way to

Mallets

Mal.

&
6

# n # n
ect.....all the way to

Mal.

& &
14

10

ect.....all the way to

# # !

# n # n # n # n

Mal.

6-3-2-1 With 4
&c # # # # # b b # b

& # bb b

# # # # b b

&

# # 1 4

3 4

13

3 &4 &

Back Down Until

2 4

Back Up Until

Back Down Until

19

Timpani will follow root motion. Practice at slow tempos until technique feels comfortable. Play with a metronome. Practice using a mirror

Check Patterns
Check

c
4

var.6

var.1

var. 7

var. 2

var.8

var. 3

var. 4

var. 5
9

14

! r

! r
var. 12

var. 9

var. 10

! !

var. 11

Insert variations into the 1 and 3 beat of the check pattern. Always paractice this excersice with a metronome and a close attention to technique and rhythmic accuaracy. Be comfortable to play all variations atmultiple heights and tempos. This excersise should be part of your daily practice schedule

Double Vertical Small Interval Change

&c
4

&

The motion of the mallets is the same as themotion in any legato stroke excersice. All mallets should be at the same height. No tension should be felt in you shoulders, arms and hands.

Independent Small Interval Changes

Outside Movemnt

&c
4 3

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

2 & 4
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

Inside Movement
11 3 3

& c &
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

15

&
3

3 3 3

19

&
3 3 3 3 3 3 3

Control tacet mallets at all time. Be aware when the switch between Double Lateral and Single Independent techniques happens. Pratice at slow tempos with attention to the path of the mallets.

SCALES
& c
4

6 4 & & c
Green Scales

& &
Reverse Green Scales

11

14

& &

17

Practice at all tempos and height with a metronome. Green scales \ Reverse Green Scale will be played in all 12 major keys. Use a full legato stroke to help ensure quality of sound. Strive for an even sound across all of the permutations. Timpani will play a stick control excersice while the keyboard players play this excersice.

Stick Control
&c
r l r l r l r l r l r l r l r l r r l l r r l l r r l l r r l l
3

6 & 4
r r l l r r l l r r l l r r l l r r r l r r r l r r r l r r r l r l l l r l l l r l l l r l l l

6 & 4 c
r r r l l l r r r l l l r r r l l l r r r l l l r l r l r l r l r l r l r l r l r l r l r l r l

& c
r l r r l r l l r l r r l r l l r l r l r r l r l r l l r l r r l r l r l l r l r l r r l r l l

11

&
r l r r l r l l r l l r l l r l r l r r l l r r l r l l r l r r l r r l r r l r l r l l r r l l

14

&
r l r l r l r l r r l l r r l l r l l r l l r r l r r l r r l l r l l r l r l r r l r l r l r l

17

&

Practice with a metronome. Make it your goal to have every note sound the same. Do not let any beat fall in. Every note has it place on the grid. Tmpani player may substitute this excersice for the scale excersice. Practice at all heights and tempos. Watch the motion of the tacet hand.