The United States

Army Field Band

The Musical Ambassadors of the Army
Washington, DC
W

Percussion Clinic

by
Sergeant First Class William Elliott
Staff Sergeant Steven Hearn

The United States Army Field Band

4214 Field Band Drive • Fort Meade, Maryland 20755-5330

Phone: (301) 677-6586 • Fax: (301) 677-6533

E-mail: fldband@emh1.ftmeade.army.mil • Website: www.army.mil/fieldband
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The U.S. Army Field Band Percussion Clinic
Percussion Clinic
by
Staff Sergeant Bill Elliott
Staff Sergeant Steven Hearn

TRIANGLES • For a thin texture and less resonance, play the

triangle on the outside near the top (A) or on
Description and Selection the inside of the base near the closed end (B).
Play on the outside near the bottom for a full
• Average triangles measure 6–8 inches.
texture and resonance (C).
• For a brighter sound, a smaller triangle may
be a better choice (not necessarily for playing
soft).
B
• For a darker sound, a larger triangle may be a A C
better choice (not necessarily for playing loud).

• A selection of triangle beaters that vary in size

(diameter) should be available.
Fast Rhythmic Passages (legato)
• Small triangle beaters are used for a brighter
sound and for a better articulation of certain • Place the beater inside the triangle and move
rhythmic passages (not necessarily for the play- back and forth between the two sides for a thin
ing of soft passages). sound (D). Play between the base and the closed
side of the triangle for a full sound (E).
• Triangle clips should easily clip to a music
stand.

• Clips should be strung with a thin cord, prefer- D E

ably made of nylon.

• Two loops should be made so one can act as a

backup if the other breaks.
Fast Rhythmic Passages (articulate)
Triangle Technique
• Suspend the triangle from two clips with the
• The thumb and first finger of the hand should closed side on top; play with a pair of matched
form the shape of the letter “C.” The clip should beaters.
then drop into the “C” so that it rests on top.

• Use this technique for slow to moderate rhyth-

mic passages and long note values.

÷c ˙ ˙ w œœ˙ œ w

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Percussion Clinic
• The following technique may be used when play- Suspend the triangle from two clips. Play on
ing triangle and another instrument at the same the closed side using a single stoke roll to create a
time. smooth, sustained sound.

H=hand K=knee L=left R=right

÷ 44 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
H H H H H H H H H K H H K H H K H H KH
R R R R R R R R R L R R LR R L R R LR
Dampening
÷œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœ
H H H H H H H H H H K H H K H H K H H K A general rule for dampening the triangle is to
R R R R R R R R R R LR R L R R L R R L let everything ring unless there are obvious unison
staccato notes. Listen and emulate the musical in-
÷œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œ terpretation of the ensemble.
H H H H H H H H H K K H K KH K K H K K
j j j j j j j j
R R R R R R R R R L L R L L R L LR L L ÷ 44 œ. ‰ œ. ‰ œ. ‰ œ. ‰ œ. ‰ œ. ‰ œ. ‰ œ. ‰
œ
K ÷ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœ œ The triangle is dampened by squeezing the re-
L H H H H H H H H H K H K H K H K H K H KH KH K maining three fingers of the holding hand into the
R R R R R R R R R L R L R L RL R L R LR LRL heel of the hand.

Practice the following groove patterns using

Grace Notes dampening:

÷ 44 .. œo
The most reliable method for playing grace
notes is to use two matched beaters. Play on the +œ +œ œo +œ +œ ..
base of the triangle if suspended from one clip. Play
on the closed side if suspended from two clips. Use ÷ .. œo +œ +œ œo +œ +œ œo +œ +œ +œ œo +œ +œ œo +œ +œ ..
single strokes on all grace note figures.

TAMBOURINE
Description and Selection
The tambourine is a hand drum with two dif-
ferent sounding parts: the head and the jingles.
÷ 44 œjœ œjœ œjœ œjœ œœ œ œœ œ œœ œ œœ œ
The head is of medium thickness and is

œ œœ œ œœœ œ œœœ œ œ œœ œ stretched over the shell and stays tight under all
weather conditions.

Standard tambourine size is about ten inches

Rolls in diameter with a double row of jingles (prefer-
Hold the triangle as if playing single notes. ably staggered).
Place the beater between the two sides at the top
or between the base and the closed side. Move the The shell should be lightweight to allow easy
beater back and forth to create a smooth, sustained movement and to permit an acceptable vibration.
sound.
Grip the tambourine with either hand. Place
the thumb on the top rim and let the fingers curl
Full around the shell under the head (like a baseball
Thin

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The U.S. Army Field Band Percussion Clinic
grip). A muffled timbre is produced by placing the Rolls
thumb on the head.
• Common practice—start and stop the roll with
Tambourine Techniques a head tap according to ensemble articulation.
Occasionally no head tap is necessary.
Since speed and volume are restricted when
playing with one hand, another technique must be • Shake roll—hold the tambourine in either hand,
devised. Tambourine techniques are affected greatly rotating the wrist in the same manner as the
by different dynamics and tempos. left hand traditional grip for snare drum. Si-
multaneously, add a slight forward/backward
• Loud and slow—hold the tambourine about wrist motion in the same manner as matched
shoulder level and play with the tips of the fin- grip to create a fluid circular motion.

÷ 44 ˙æ
gers near the edge (bunch the fingers together
and form a flat surface). œ Œ
• Soft roll—hold the tambourine alongside the
j j
÷ 44 œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ Œ leg. Jingles should be light, bright, and delicate
for extremely long rolls.

• Soft and slow—rest the heel of the palm on the • Loud roll—hold the tambourine in front at about
head of the tambourine (less head sound, thin eye level.
texture). Extend the fingers to the edge and
strike. • Extremely loud rolls—use two tambourines.

÷ 24 œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœœœœœ œœœœœœ œ œ œ œ œ • Thumb and finger rolls—move the thumb (or

finger) along the edge of the tambourine. The
rapid bouncing causes the jingles to vibrate. To
• Fast and loud—hold the tambourine with the get friction between the head and thumb (or fin-
head facing down. Alternate back and forth be- ger) a player can either dampen the finger or
tween the knee and the group of fingers play- rub bass rosin or bee’s wax on the head of the
ing on the inside (see the musical example on tambourine to create a sticky surface to facili-
page 12–2). tate the bouncing effect. This technique is used
primarily for soft rolls that are of short dura-
• Fast and soft—lay the tambourine on the knee tion.
or a padded trap table with the rim facing up;
Play with the fingers of both hands. ÷ 44 œ œæ œ œ œ œæ œ œ
• Use more fingers for louder passages.

• Use fewer fingers for softer passages. • When playing rolls that are part of a rhythmic
passage, the player can drop the heel or the
Grace Notes thumb of the hand to play the release. For
longer thumb rolls, a larger (12") tambourine
• Fast and soft—lay the tambourine on the leg can be played.
and single stroke the grace notes.
CONCERT BASS DRUM
÷ 44 œjœ œœ
j
œœ
j
œœ
j
œœ œ œœ œ œœ œ œœ œ Heads and Tuning
• A standard size for concert bass drums is
œ œœ œ œœœ œ œœœ œ œ œœ œ 36 x 16 inches.

• Fast and loud—use the hand-knee technique to • The best types of material for heads are “Fiber
play the grace notes. Skyn” (man-made) or calfskin (natural).

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Percussion Clinic
• Tune the playing head a fourth or fifth above, • For rolls, use two matched rolling beaters. Hold
below, or at the same pitch as the resonating the beaters with the traditional snare drum grip
head. Ensure that the playing head is not and use single strokes to execute the roll.
floppy, so that it is articulate and resonant.
Dampening and Muffling
Mallets
To dampen is to stop the vibration of the head
• General beater—medium to large headed felt by exerting pressure with the left hand or right
mallets; these produce a well-rounded, resonant knee. The most significant problem to address is
tone. not how to dampen, but when to dampen.

• Rolling beaters (pair)—smaller than general • Composers and arrangers are not always famil-
beaters and are easier to control. iar with proper techniques and notation of the
bass drum.
• Staccato beaters—similar to rollers, but hav-
ing less felt and a harder core; used for articu- • Note values are not consistent with the band or
lating rhythmic figures. orchestra.

Effects Mallets • Players must listen and re-interpret the writ-

ten part. Check the full score for the proper note
• Wood beaters are used for extremely articulate values, as shown below:
playing (usually in a soft dynamic range).
Bass Drum Part
• A hard felt beater is used for extremely articu- ÷ 44 œ Œ œ Œ œ Œ œ Œ Œ œ œ Œ œ œ Œ Œ
late playing (usually for loud dynamic ranges).

Playing Area and Strokes Brass Part

• The edge is used for soft rolls and special ef- ÷ 44 ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ Œœ˙ œ ˙.
fects (thin sound and higher overtones).

• The next area is 1/3 of the distance from the To muffle is to partially mute the head to lessen
rim and is used for all general playing and loud the vibrations. Reasons for muffling are:
rolls.
• Type of notation (fast).
• The center is used for loud strokes and ex-
tremely articulate passages.
÷ 24 œœ œ œ œœ œ œ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
Proper Strokes
• Character of music (secco).
• The general playing stroke is produced by the
forearm and the wrist. Soft strokes are produced • Small instrumentation or softer passages.
mostly by the wrist. Loud strokes are produced
by adding the upper arm to the general stroke. • Acoustics of the hall (live).

• A direct stroke goes directly into the head with

a “flicking” of the wrist to terminate the stroke.
This produces maximum vibration and over-
tones from the drum.

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The U.S. Army Field Band Percussion Clinic
CRASH CYMBALS Loud and Fast Note Values
Types of Crash Cymbals • Use a general crash stroke, but reduce the angle
to about 45 degrees.
• A standard pair of cymbals is usually 18 inches
in size and has a quick response to vibrations. • The cymbals should be kept close together to
These are generally used when a cymbal part be ready for the next crash.
has a combination of loud and soft strokes and
rhythmic passages. Soft Cymbals Strokes
• The French type or sound of cymbals has a quick • The cymbals should be held about 5 degrees to
response and a fast decay. These cymbals are the left of straight up and down.
thin and have lower overtones present.
• Separate the cymbals with the edge of the bot-
• The German type or sound of cymbals has a tom cymbal above the edge of the top cymbal.
slower response and slower decay. These cym-
bals are thicker and have a more brilliant sound. • Drop the top cymbal by pushing downward with
the thumb and forefinger, then pull apart after
• A smaller pair of cymbals should be on hand in impact.
order to have better control during softer, more
delicate passages. However, smaller symbals Dampening
create a thinner texture than larger ones.
• Bring the cymbals into the upper part of the
The Grip body and arms.
j j
• The index finger and thumb curl around the
strap nearest to the bell of the cymbal. The strap
÷ 44 œœŒŒœœ œ Œ œ ‰ œ œ Œ œ œ Œ œœœœ‰ œ œ
lays in the palm and the other three fingers
wrap around the strap just like a snare drum • A forte-piano effect can be accomplished by
grip. Another option is to lay the middle and dampening only one cymbal.
ring fingers in the strap with the pinky on the
outside. • The dampening rules for inconsistent note val-
ues on bass drum also apply to cymbals. Some
The Crash Cymbal Stroke parts indicate a need to dampen, although the
tempo and note values may not allow for this.
• The top cymbal should hang down like a sus-
pended cymbal, but at a slight angle. jjj j jj jj
÷ 44 œœ‰ œ‰ œ‰ œ œœœœ‰ œœ ‰ œ‰ œœ œœ ‰ œ‰ œœ Œ
• The bottom cymbal should face upward at a
slight angle, resting on the knuckle of the hand.

• The two cymbals should set naturally at a slight

angle to each other.
SUSPENDED CYMBALS
• The top cymbal is then dropped down onto the
bottom cymbal. Both cymbals should be in mo- Selection
tion for the best timbre. The impact causes
the cymbals to pull apart from each other. To • Suspended cymbals are usually smaller and
avoid air pockets (no sound), remember to thinner than crash cymbals. The standard size,
drop the top cymbal straight down and not at which respond very quickly when struck with a
a glance . mallet, is usually 16" to 18" in diameter.

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Percussion Clinic
Smaller Cymbals • Additional effects call for different areas of the
cymbal to be struck, scraped, or rubbed by tri-
• Used for very soft and delicate passages. angle beaters, coins, a bass bow, etc. A sizzle
effect can be obtained by holding a thin triangle
• Quickly respond for crescendos and diminuendos. beater on the cymbal and then striking the cym-
bal with another mallet.
Larger Cymbals
• Muffling is used to articulate rhythmic figures.
• Used for a more sustained sound.
• For slow tempos, use one hand to muffle and
• Suspend the cymbal by its strap from a boom one hand to play.
stand. This allows the cymbal to vibrate freely.
• For fast tempos, when both hands are needed
• The cymbal may also be placed on a regular cym- to play, use your midriff to muffle.
bal stand, which allows for the most control.
BASS DRUM AND
Mallet Selection
CYMBAL ATTACHMENT
• Soft wound yarn or cord mallets allow the cym-
bal to respond quickly and bring out all the over- Cymbal Grip and Selection
tones. When a composition calls for a timpani
mallet, always substitute these instead. • Hold the cymbal with the thumb and index fin-
ger. Let the fingers wrap around the strap and
• Other implements include snare drum sticks, push the top cymbal into the attached cymbal.
triangle beaters, brushes, etc.
• For loud playing, use a larger cymbal on top.
• Rolls with snare sticks should be played as a
buzz roll on the edge of the cymbal. • For softer playing, use a smaller cymbal on top.

Playing Techniques Dampening

• Strokes are always made on the edge of the cym- • Bring the top cymbal into the chest.
bal, unless otherwise specified in the score.
• Grab the attached cymbal with the right hand.
• A roll can easily be controlled by placing the
mallets on the edge at approximately 4 and 8 • Dampen or muffle the bass drum with the right
o’clock. knee.

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