Prospective Member,

Thanks for interest and welcome to Shenandoah Sound’s drumline! The program is at a
crucial stage, making a serious run at Drum Corps Associates’ South shows and finals.
This season will be a new kind of experience for the group, and we will hit the ground
running with the December percussion-only camp. A quality staff is in place, and you are
guaranteed a rewarding experience should you come on board.

With the schedule set, you are strongly encouraged to first check it against your own
calendar thru next August. Check the website frequently for updates. We will not accept
less than solid attendance from the members, as every player is a soloist and thus critical
to every rehearsal and performance! That said, things happen, but the expectation is clear
should you decide to play.

The organization is in its fifteenth year, but this is a new day; it will hardly be “just
another year” for corps. The scope of the show, our goals for the season, the number of
personnel on the field, and our vision of achievement are firsts, and it is an exciting time
to march! The musical genre we are exploring this year is simply a lot of fun to drum to,
and you should expect to grow as a player and as a performer doing this show with us.

Some key ingredients for the drumline. Personal commitment and especially
preparation are central to what we look for in players. We strive to provide clear
information and instruction, as well as good charts on a timely basis, and we ask only that
you “get the stuff under your hands” and memorized for the camps. We will take the
players with good attitudes and brains first; great hands and talent are a close second. Be
ready to drum outside your own comfort zone – the technique may be new to you, our
standards for execution may be higher than you’ve known, and our pace may be different
from previous groups. You’ll need to retain and apply the information. It’s not, “too bad,”
but rather, “embrace it!”

In auditions, expect to learn by both rote and reading, candid evaluations, and useful
commentary; expect to sweat, to concentrate for long durations, and to enjoy the
weekends. Safely anticipate that the summer will be an extension of the camps.

In sum, this team is making moves to entertain and impress the DCA judging community
and audiences. That will happen when you do what’s asked of you! And it’s simple
because it’s fun to work in drum corps: show up with business face, your stuff prepared,
ready to drum and hungry for more, and suddenly the sky is the limit.

Best,

Michael Kirby
Percussion Caption Head
 2008 Shenandoah Sound
Battery Technique

Mike Kirby
Percussion Caption Head

The Three Keys1

Hold the Stick/Mallet with Your Fingers and Thumb at ALL Times
Each of the fingers is in constant contact with the implement. There will be a little
play given technical demands of different passages by speed, rudiment, or height, but
suffice it to say that the pinky will never fly off. The fingers are comfortably and
naturally wrapped around the implement; less contact means less control, but tightness
chokes the sound.

Play from the Wrist

The fingers must remain on the implement. Use of arm is an accessory; the
dominant influence on the implement is the wrist. Snares’ right wrist shall turn up from
nearly flat with the forearm; left shall turn as around an axis, articulating the beats.
Quads’ hands shall be tilted in a bit, the wrists doing much of the work but giving way to
fingers and arm as they get around the drums. Bass’ wrists shall turn, again as around an
axis, placed neatly aside the rim.

Use Velocity and Rebound

Velocity is at work before the stroke, rebound to be maximized afterward, from
and to corresponding heights. The speed of such travel is basically the same, allowing for
constant motion and inertia. Both are difficult to master, but they assist both sound
quality (length, projection, consistency) and clarity (visually and as a unitary technique).
Velocity and rebound are allies at various tempi, and despite popular misconceptions,
accord completely with a relaxed approach.

1
The Three Keys, Grip and Stroke Guidelines are adapted from Hannum, Thom. Championship Concepts
for Marching Percussion. Hal Leonard, 1989.
The Grip

Set up with the Natural Curve of the Hands

Control Your Starting Position
Hold the Implements as an Extension of the Forearm
Have Relaxed Elbows
Maintain Good Bead Placement

The Stroke

Grip Maintenance
Implement moves in a Consistent Path
Bead Moves First
Maintain Consistent Heights of Rise
Control the Opposite Stick/Mallet
As the part is… The player should use more...
SLOWER, BIG BEATS WRISTS & then ARMS, lift
FASTER, DENSER BEATS WRISTS & FINGERS up front

Or as on a continuum:
fingers - - - - - - - - - - - wrists - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - arms

Height Chart

All segments, in their own way as it relates to the path of the implement, use these
as the heights by which they play louder and softer i.e. dynamics and accenting. Consider
and apply the fourth Stroke guideline (height of rise consistency). We will certainly
expand on the various dynamic interpretations later, phrase by phrase in exquisite detail,
but this is the most accessible system of understanding heights:

½” pp pianissimo Starting Position, Lowest Dynamic

3” mp mezzo-piano Tap Heights and “Low Notes,” “Inner Beats”
6” mf mezzo-forte Either Taps or Accents, also for thicker “Body”
9” f forte Accents, Generally Comfortable Beats
12” ff fortissimo Louder Accents, Full Wrist Turn
15” fff <very loud> Visual Passages, Spaced Accents
 2008 Shenandoah Sound
Pit Addendum

Mike Kirby
Percussion Caption Head

Mallet Keyboard, Concert Percussion!

The musical genre of this year’s show necessitates some cool voices and textures
coming from the front sideline. Our program will be exploiting the possibilities of the
instruments found in the pit, and you are invited to jam with the group on these
compositions! Musical opportunities include use of marimba, xylophone, vibraphone,
hand drums, and a ‘rack’ or miscellany compliment of percussive sounds, not to be
undervalued for an instant as these voices are crucial to the genre and our field show!
Indeed, most of the ‘feels’ the drumline will provide this year in support of the music will
come off the rack! Expect a fresh arrangement and infusion of these instruments into the
overall percussion book.

With respect to technique, much of the mallet keyboard material is strikingly

similar to the approach found in the battery. Aside from that, we will be looking for and
teaching toward two primary concepts for the pit to make the most of its contributions to
the music and to an appealing, idiomatically succinct field show. (1) Aural or listening
abilities and adjustment ensure that a uniform ensemble sound reaches the audience. (2)
Communication, musically, emotionally, and just performance-wise are crucial to an
effective front ensemble. Taken together, you will be encouraged to get into it i.e. don’t
be shy, while listening and playing ‘with’ the battery or other voices, to be defined per
phrase, coming off the field. As a performer, you must embody and exude the flavors of
the show; this makes the pit the most ‘free’ to express the musical statements behind the
different phrases.

The baseline exercise material is geared toward fundamentals, and though some
will entail distinct ‘feels’ or grooves similar to those of the show, these pieces serve a
different function. The exercises are for ‘warming up hands and brains’, but are also
kicking up and solidifying a total ensemble sound. You and the group will be best served
if you think of them as such. The notes will come off the presses at camps, so stay tuned!
Exercise Instructions

patterns 1 & 2
Simple patterns we should all know and love, in the camps we will be elaborating
on them extensively. Much of the work and variations on these patterns will be by 'rote'
learning. You are encouraged to play them in any sticking imaginable at any tempo,
preferably with your favorite music which probably move in simple phrases; the idea is to
attain fluency with phrasing. This will be used predominantly during the first couple
camps; see ‘dynamic/sticking variations’. A trend which starts here and includes the
rest of the exercise repertoire is this: quads on one drum then around, bass in unison then
divisi.

stock 8s
Again, a deceptively simple exercise from the archive of standards. However, as
with the patterns, be prepared again for new twists, extensions, dynamics, various tempi,
chop-outs, and other such tricks not on the page you see before you. See also
‘dynamic/sticking variations’. These variations will be used in conjunction with the
patterns pages.
Variations on the bass uni/split motif as a cycle: 0 is in unison, 1s are the eighth-
note base, 2s=sixteenths, 3s=sextuplets, 4s=32n note splits. Focus on evenness and
continuity; avoid hiccoughs in volume and rhythm.

stick control
Familiar to any respectable drummer, based on Stone’s classic by the same name,
this is a simpler exercise we must play with quality. Think of the figures as ‘fast eights’.
Important note: the only rhythm here is sixteenths, therefore debug your rhythm to
sticking combinations. Basically, ALL UP, ALL SAME. Harder than it sounds, but do
the work and this will be a fun one.

sean johns
A paradiddle, or “p-diddy,” exercise we will be using this year which serves two
purposes: (1) getting better at these kinds of figures and (2) making you think! Warm-ups
warm up hands and brains. Familiarize yourself with the stickings; played this as written,
you’ll find this is actually a long piece.
Focus on evenness and quality in the low level body of notes. “Stroke out” the
figures at the cadence to medium tempi, striving for correct rhythmic placement, getting
some serious flow as you hit 144bpm and up. Given the stylistic motifs of the show,
expect to see plenty of creative use of the elusive “p-diddy” on the field.

flams
As the title suggests, these are assorted flam passages. Focus on relaxed but firm
accent quality, rebound within all the action there, and on maintaining a body of
consistent, quality inner beats (those between the flams). Most of our work with this will
center on the two measure phrases. We will play this exercise as written—short, but
covering all the basic toppings. Quads, come up with your own arounds to audition with;
the part for the summer will be the best one from audition.
 patterns one: sgl, dbl, tpl beats
single hand; permutations stock

base
                                  
R L R

          
acc 1

                               

          
acc 2

                               

        
acc 3

                               

                

dbl 1        

dbl 2
 
      
            

     
dbl 3                         

tpl 1

                   

tpl 2
       
         
 

tpl 3

                     
 patterns two: 16th notes, rhythms stock
check patterns with stickings and more

1
                                                      
L R L L R L L R L L R L R R L R R L R R L R R L R L L R L L R L L R L L R L R R L R R L R R L R

                 

2                 
R L R L R L R L L R L R L R L R R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L

                  

 

 

 

3  R

R

R

R L L L L R R R R L L L

L

               
4                                                  

        
5         
        
6                                                                  

           

7         

                                      

8   
                 
9  
       
R r r L l l R r r L l l R r r L l l R L l l l R r r L R r r r r L l l R r r L l l R r r L l l R r r L R r r r L l l R L l l l l
R l l L r r R l l L r r R l l L r r R L r r r R l l L R l l l l L r r R l l L r r R l l L r r R l l L R l l l L r r R L r r r r
simile stxg
                 
10  
           
R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L
simile stxg
                 

11   
      
R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L
 patterns three: triplet meter stock/m kirby

1
  
                                    
R L L R R L L R R R L L R R L L L R R L L R R L

     
2                     
R L R L L R L R R L R L

singles doubles threes

          
3                        

4
  
                                     

 
                           
5             

singles doubles
                               threes
          
6  

           
7

                                     

        

8                                      
 Legato 8s stock

 
Snare Drum                                

       
Quads 1s                          

              
Quads 2s                   

                          
Quads 3s       

                       
Quads 4s      

 


Marching
Bass Drum                                  

1s, 2s, 3s, 4s

           
Marching
Bass Drum                 
     

2008 innoVAtion indoor

 stick control m kirby

   
Snare                                                                  
R L 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 R L L L

 
     
Quads       
R L 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 R L L L

               

Bass
  
R L L L R L L R L L R L L R L
 R L L R L L R L L R L L R L L

5    

S        
R L L L R L L L R R R R L L L L R R R R L L L L R L L L R L L L

   
       
Quads    
R L L L R L L L R R R R L L L L R R R R L L L L R L L L R L L L

 
B
               
R L R L R L R L R R L R R L R R L R R L R L R L

8  

S         
R R L L L L R R R R L L L L R R R L L L R L L L R R R L L L R L L L R R L L R R L L R

 
   
      
Quads                  
R R L L L L R R R R L L L L R R R L L L R L L L R R R L L L R L L L R R L L R R L L R

           
B                
 R L R L L R L R R L R L L R L R R L L R R L L R R

Copyright © 2008 Shenandoah Sound D & B Corps

 sean johns m kirby
A
               

Snare                                                                   
R l r r L r l l r r L r l l r r L r l l R l r r l l R l r r l l R l r r L r l l R l r r L r l l R l r r L r r L r r L r r L r r
all repeats off L are symmetrical!
          
                              
Quads    
R l r r L r l l r r L r l l r r L r l l R l r r l l R l r r l l R l r r L r l l R l r r L r l l R l r r L r r L r r L r r L r r
      
                
   
                   
Bass  

R R L R L R R R L R L

B
5
            

S      
R l r r l l r r L r l l r r l l r r L r l l r r L r l l r r l l R l l R l l r r L r r L r r l l r r L r r L r r l l R l l R l l
        
                                       
Quads                    
r r L r r L r r l l R l l R l l R l l R l l r r L r r L r r l l r r L r l l r r L r l l r r l l R l r r l l r r L r l l r r l l

   
                                               
B    
 R l r r l l r r L r

l l r r l l
r r L r l r l l R l r r l l r r

C9
           
 
    

S         
R l R l R l r r L r L r l l R l R l R l r r L r L r l l R l r r R l l r r L R l l r r l l R L r r l l R L r r l l R L R L R L R

rep opp drums/L     

           
                                      
Quads
 
         
         
         
R l R l R l r r L r L r l l R l R l R l r r L r L r l l R l r r R l l r r L R l l r r l l R L r r l l R L r r l l R L R L R L R

played as 4 bar rep

 
B            
 
   
              
    
 
Copyright © 2008 Shenandoah Sound D&B Corps
2
D
13
                  

S      
R l l R l l R l l R l l R l r r L r r L r r L r r L r r L r l l r r L r r l l R l l r r L r L r r L r L r r L r r l l R l l r r
        
      

Quads     
 
      
R l l R l l R l l R l l R l r r L r r L r r L r r L r r L r l l r r L r r l l R l l r r L r r l l R l l r r L r r l l R l l r r
          
              
B    

R l r r L r l l R l r r l l r r l l R l r r L r l l R l r r l l R L L R L R R

E
17
      
 
    

S          
R l r r L r l l R l r r l l r r l l R l r r L r l l R l r l r r R L r r l l R L r r l l r r L R l l r r L R l l r r L R l l r r

played as 4 bar rep

                
                                                
Quads       
R L r r l l R l r r l l r r L R l l r r L R l l r r L R l l r r R l r r L r l l R l r r l l r r l l R l r r L r l l R l r r l l
   
   
                                   
         
B       
 R L R L

21 TAG
        9:8    9:8   
  
S                                                               
R l r r L r l l R l r r l l R l r r L r l l R L R L r r R l l R l l R r r L r l l r r L r r L r r L l l R l r r l l R

rep opp drums/L 

       9:8   9:8   
                            
Quads

          
 
       
R l r r L r l l R l r r l l R l r r L r l l R L R L r r R l l R l l R l l R l r l r r L r r L r r L r r L r l r l l R

9:8 
 
rep off L      9:8
            
B                                    
 R l r r l l R l r r L r l l r r L r r L r r L r r L r r R
 flams m kirby

        



    
   

 


 
 






 
 

Snare                                              
           
R L R L L R L R L R R L R L R r L l r L l r L R L l R r l R r l
           
            
            

Tenor   
 
          
      
     
 
                     

   
R L R L L R L R R L R L R r L l r L l r L R L l R r l R r l
L R
3
   3        
      
Bass                     
    

5                  
                
S               
                   
                 
  
R L R L R L R L R L L R R L R R l r L L r

                 
               
T                
                   
                
   
R L R L R L R L R L L R R L R R l r L L r
   
                         
B
      

8           
    
S 
   
          
     
       

       

  
L R L L r l R R l R L L l R r R

            
   
T                
                
    
L R L L r l R R l R L L l R r R
      
  
        
B               
 
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