Percussion Tips & Tricks

While my time with percussion was short, I did learn a few important things about being part of an ensemble's rhythm section.

Percussion is so much more demanding than other instruments. It’s why percussionists are more dedicated further on in their music careers.  If needed, elementary school teachers sometimes "weed out” prospective percussionists by having them do hand-eye coordination exercises.

Holding the Sticks/Posture

Holding a drumstick

Mallet sticks you can hold naturally, but snare drum sticks are difference.  You put your thumb parallel to the stick near the bottom.  This is the “pivot” point, for lack of a better term.  Your pointer finger hooks around the stick, and this gives it a lot of room to move while still being able to control it.  This is crucial, because the drum won’t make a good sound (and you won’t be able to roll) without this freedom of motion.  It’s hard to explain, and I wish I had another lesson to confirm it all.  I had to keep correcting my grip, but I think I’m getting it now.

You should stand a comfortable distance away from the drum, like you’re holding a cafeteria tray. Stand up straight, right in front of the drum, with your feet a comfortable distance apart.

Rudiments (Patterns)
The pattern L-R-R-L, etc. or R-L-L-R is called a paradiddle. Strong hand lead is starting a “phrase” with your strong hand (right hand in my case.)

Example of strong hand lead

I would start each phrase (after the rests) with my right hand (or left hand, if I’m a leftie), instead of strictly alternating hands. It feels natural, like stopping and resetting after you speak a sentence. A way to remember when to do this is to count the rests as if they’re beats. I could hit the air with my left hand during a rest and land on my right hand for the next note, just like is written.

Buzzing isn’t quite rolling, but it’s a good introduction. It’s represented on the staff by a z on the note. Basically, you let the stick bounce off the drum repeatedly and apply downward pressure on it so it vibrates quickly. (A roll, I think, is simply a lot of these put together, but I didn't have the time to learn a drumroll.) You have a lot of control over how fast the stick hits the drum.

How to stand when
playing snare drum

Flams are like grace notes in music - they come just before the beat as decorations. You hold the sticks at slightly different heights above the drum and let them fall at the same time. It’s slightly harder than it sounds. A good habit to get into is letting the momentum switch the sticks’ positions. So if you start with the left hand higher, you should finish the flam with the right hand higher before resetting your sticks.

Technique
You shouldn’t hit snare drums in the middle.  There’s a sweet spot about halfway between the middle and the rim; hit it there.  Also, young percussionists have a tendency of “hammering” their sticks or mallets (lifting them too far above their head.)  This decreases accuracy and tone quality. There should be minimal wrist movement while playing.  If a quarter on the back of your hand doesn't move, you’re good.  If it’s moving, you need to change something.  Keeping the wrists still allows the sticks to bounce off the head of the drum.

History of percussion

Since there are so many different percussion instruments, I'll focus on the ones usually found in bands or orchestras.  (An orchestral percussionist will usually learn snare drum, xylophone, and timpani.)

Snare Drum
The snare drum originated in the Middle East.  It's been used in the orchestra since the beginning of the 18th century, but its role was significant starting in the 19th century.  Snare drums can have different diameters, resulting in different pitches.  For example, the orchestral snare drum is lighter in tone than the marching snare drum.

According to my source, the tradition way to hold the sticks is the left stick horizontal and the right stick extending from the thumb and index finger.  There are may different types of strokes, such as single, double or bounced.  In addition, a roll can be open (a series of double strokes) or closed (each stroke bounces - the hands are just moving quickly).  All strokes are normally played in the center of the drum head, except for a rimshot.  This is hitting the center and the rim at the same time, or laying one stick across the drum and hitting it with the other stick.

Timpani

The ranges of various
percussion instruments

The timpani originated in Africa and the Middle East and first appeared in the orchestra in 1675.  In 1812, a master screw was developed that could alter the pitch of all the tuning screws at once.  However, this was at the cost of the purity of the tone.  By 1880, pedal-tuned drums had been developed and became the norm of the orchestra.  Then, plastic timpani heads were introduced in 1960.

A typical orchestra has five timpani, each of which has a comfortable range of a fifth.  It can take years for a timpanist to achieve dexterity, coordination, and a good tuning ear.

Xylophone (and other keyboard percussion)
The xylophone originated from the balafon, an African xylophone.  It first appeared in Europe in 1850s and became an orchestral instrument in the 19th century.

Keyboard percussion is struck at either the middle or the very end of the bar to achieve a resonant sound.  Therefore, a percussionist must be able to accurately move and hit notes.  This fluency requires a good memory and lots of practice.