The Band Teacher's Percussion Guide: Insights into Playing and Teaching Percussion is an essential practical resource for instrumental music teachers and band directors. Author Stewart Hoffman, a Juilliard-trained percussionist, performer, private instructor, and former classroom teacher, offers comprehensive yet accessible and clearly written handbook to help set teachers and students alike firmly on the road to classroom success. In this book, he offers a thorough foundation in snare drum, timpani, keyboard percussion, drum set, and auxiliary and Latin percussion techniques. More than this, he provides practical advice on curriculum and methodology, packing page after page with teaching tips developed through the decades of experience. For educators and band directors who want to learn more about percussion instruments and playing techniques, refine their percussion-teaching skills, or set the classroom stage for a more effective and rewarding teaching experience, The Band Teacher's Percussion Guide: Insights into Playing and Teaching Percussion will be a valued resource for discovering: -keys to effective and relevant evaluation -how to plan a percussion program, organize a band room and select percussionists -lists of recommended instruments and mallets, and guidelines for instrument maintenance and repair -"lifts and levels", a system that leads students to greater control and a more relaxed snare drum technique dozens of practical exercises for the development of techniques on all the main and accessory percussion instruments -easily referenced lists summarizing important points to focus on when practicing -guidelines for teaching jazz, Latin and rock drumset -numerous suggestions and tips to help teachers bring out the best in their students' playing

Recorder Express is the track to becoming a great recorder player and having fun! More than 120 folk, pop, and original songs and exercises are included as well as technique tips and beginning music theory. Notes in the order taught: B, A, G, C, D, Low E, Low D, F#, Low C, F, High E. Levels one and two are covered in this one edition. This method was well-conceived and thoroughly tested by master teacher, clinician, and professional recorder player Artie Almeida. A separate CD is available with 98 tracks! Most tracks are accompaniment only, but some feature a professional recorder player so that students can strive to match her beautiful tone and musicality. This title has received the iParenting Media award as one of the "Excellent Products of 2006."

This comprehensive method by Mitchell Peters (principal percussionist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic) helps percussionists at any level develop solid skills. The method contains an abundance of essential exercises and etudes for both 2- and 4-mallet technique in two convenient volumes Covers the grip, stroke, playing position, reading and technical studies, and more The comb binding creates a lay-flat book that is perfect for study and performance.

Alfred's Drum Method, Book 1 (of 2) is the ideal teaching tool to help prepare beginning players for all styles of snare drum and percussion performance. This best-selling book contains 80 pages of excellent sequential instruction covering rudimental studies, roll studies, contest solos, and bass drum and cymbal technique, as well as 23 solos suitable for recitals and contests. This title is available in SmartMusic.

Included in Modern Drummer magazine's list of the 25 greatest drum books, Advanced Funk Studies will help take your groove to the next level. With author and renowned drummer Rick Latham as your guide, you'll learn hi-hat, funk, and fill patterns. Many of the ideas in this book are derived from some of the most famous and proficient funk drummers. The accompanying audio CDs provide examples of the exercises.

This unique title combines both books 1 and 2 of Alfred's Drum Method. With details on drum care, drum tuning, stick and drumhead selection and introductions to rudimental, corps (by Jay Wanamaker), and orchestral style playing, this comprehensive method book provides everything you need to become a well-rounded percussionist. Each page is designed as a single lesson, complete with a musical solo passage. Exclusive bonus features include the Vic Firth poster of the P.A.S. International Drum Rudiments and SmartMusic availability.

George Lawrence Stone's Stick Control is the original classic, often called the bible of drumming. In 1993, Modern Drummer magazine named it one of the top 25 drumming books of all-time. In the words of the author, this is the ideal book for improving "control, speed, flexibility, touch, rhythm, lightness, delicacy, power, endurance, preciseness of execution, and muscular coordination," with extra attention given to the development of the weak hand. This indispensable book for drummers of all types includes hundreds of basic to advanced rhythms and moves through categories of single-beat combinations, triplets, short roll combinations, flam beats, flam triplets and dotted notes, and short roll progressions.

An iconic symbol and sound of the Lucumi/Santeria religion, Afro-Cuban bata are talking drums that express the epic mythological narratives of the West African Yoruba deities known as "orisha." By imitating aspects of speech and song, and by metaphorically referencing salient attributes of the deities, bata drummers facilitate the communal praising of "orisha" in a music ritual known as a "toque de santo."

In "The Artistry of Afro-Cuban Bata Drumming," Kenneth Schweitzer blends musical transcription, musical analysis, interviews, ethnographic descriptions, and observations from his own experience as a ritual drummer to highlight the complex variables at work during a live Lucumi performance.

Integral in enabling trance possessions by the "orisha," by far the most dramatic expressions of Lucumi faith, bata drummers are also entrusted with controlling the overall ebb and flow of the four- to six-hour "toque de santo." During these events, bata drummers combine their knowledge of ritual with an extensive repertoire of rhythms and songs. Musicians focus on the many thematic acts that unfold both concurrently and in quick succession. In addition to creating an emotionally charged environment, playing salute rhythms for the "orisha," and supporting the playful song competitions that erupt between singers, bata drummers are equally dedicated to nurturing their own drumming community by creating a variety of opportunities for the musicians to grow artistically and creatively."

"Maybe you won't like steel band. It's possible. But it's been said that the Pied Piper had a steel band helping him on his famous visit to Hamelin." When the US Navy distributed this press release, anxieties and tensions of the impending Cold War felt palpable. As President Eisenhower cast his gaze towards Russia, the American people cast their ears to the Atlantic south, infatuated with the international currents of Caribbean music. Today, steelbands have become a global phenomenon; yet, in 1957 the exotic sound and the unique image of the US Navy Steel Band was one-of-a-kind. Could calypso doom rock `n' roll? Band founder Admiral Daniel V. Gallery thought so and envisioned his steelband knocking "rock 'n' roll and Elvis Presley into the ash can." From 1957 until their disbandment in 1999, the US Navy Steel Band performed over 20,000 concerts worldwide. In 1973, the band officially moved headquarters from Puerto Rico to New Orleans and found the city and annual Mardi Gras tradition an aptmusical and cultural fit. The band brought a significant piece of Caribbean artistic capital-calypso and steelband music-to the American mainstream. Its impact on the growth and development of steelpan music in America is enormous. Steelpan Ambassadors uncovers the lost history of the US Navy Steel Band and provides an in-depth study of its role in the development of the US military's public relations, its promotion of goodwill, its recruitment efforts after the Korean and VietnamWars, its musical and technological innovations, and its percussive propulsion of the American fascination with Latin and Caribbean music over the past century.

Timpani Tone and the Interpretation of Baroque and Classical Music explores the nature, production, and evolution of timpani tone and provides insights into how to interpret the music of J. S. Bach, Handel, Haydn, and Mozart. In drawing on 31 years of experience, Steven L. Schweizer focuses on the components of timpani tone and methods for producing it. In so doing, he discusses the importance of timpani bowl type; mallets; playing style; physical gestures; choice of drums; mallet grip; legato, marcato, and staccato strokes; playing different parts of the timpano head; and psychological openness to the music in effectively shaping and coloring timpani parts.
In an acclaimed chapter on interpretation, Schweizer explores how timpanists can use knowledge of the composer's style, psychology, and musical intentions; phrasing and articulation; the musical score; and a conductor's gestures to effectively and convincingly play a part with emotional dynamism and power. The greater part of the book is devoted to the interpretation of Baroque and Classical orchestral and choral music. Meticulously drawing on original sources and authoritative scores from the seventeenth through nineteenth centuries, Schweizer convincingly demonstrates that timpanists were capable of producing a broader range of timpani tone earlier than is normally supposed. The increase in timpani size, covered timpani mallets, and thinner timpani heads increased the quality of timpani tone; therefore, today's timpanist's need not be entirely concerned with playing with very articulate sticks. In exhaustive sections on Bach, Handel, Haydn, and Mozart, Schweizer takes the reader on an odyssey through the interpretation of their symphonic and choral music.
Relying on Baroque and Classical performance practices, timpani notation, the composer's musical style, and definitive scores, he interprets timpani parts from major works of these composers. Schweizer pays particular attention to timpani tone, articulation, phrasing, and dynamic contouring: elements necessary to effectively communicate their part to listeners.

With its depth of coverage and international scope this first-of-its-kind volume contains a comprehensive collection of information on recordings (LPs, CDs, or Cassettes) in which percussion instruments are featured as solo instruments or as part of chamber ensembles, with the best of the literature and performers worldwide. Percussion Discography includes information about the composer of a particular work, the composition's title, the record company that issued the recording, the number of the recording, and the performer(s) on each recording. For example, at the entry for Paul Creston's widely known work Concertino for Marimba four separate recordings are cited. The discographic listings that deal entirely with music for which a written score is available as opposed to improvisational music are organized alphabetically by composer last name and within each composer's output by the title of the composition. Each compositional entry is followed by the record company and the catalog number. When possible, the performer's name is listed at the end of each entry. Indexes of performers and composition titles facilitate cross referencing and the directory of recording companies and distributors that have been mentioned in the discography aids those who wish to obtain an actual sound recording either through a record store or directly from the company. Containing some of the 20th century's most remarkable composers, arrangers, and performers, the volume will be useful to departments of composition at universities as a source for 20th-century compositional materials. Conservatory libraries and libraries at universities and colleges with music programs need the solid, in-depth coverage of the recorded percussion repertoire presented here. Performers, music educators, and students will find it an indispensable guide for expanding their knowledge of percussion literature.

Drummers from beginners to pros will relish this comprehensive guide to the tools of the trade! The Drum Handbook gives you the in-depth knowledge you need to choose the whole range of gear, including drums, cymbals, hardware, heads and sticks - new, used and vintage. Includes info on setting up, tuning and maintenance, plus tips from top pros on gear, recording, playing live and surviving on the road. Fully illustrated and authoritatively written, this book includes a website directory and an exhaustive glossary of technical terms.

Handel called Britain 'The Ringing Isle' because when he heard bells ringing everywhere he went. Behind the quintessentially English sound of bell-ringing lies a unique way of hanging bells and a special way of ringing them that evolved in the late sixteenth century. Ringing has since developed and spread, with some 6,000 towers worldwide having bells hung in the English style, most of them in England. Over 40,000 active ringers keep alive the traditions and skills of change ringing that have been handed down over many generations.
The book is an introduction to the world of bells and bell-ringing. It explains how bells are made and how a ringing installation works. It explains the nature of change ringing, which has mathematical as well as musical aspects. It provides insights into the ringing community - its origins and culture as well as its relationships with the Church and the community.

The first full-length narrative biography of Led Zeppelin's John Bonham, considered by many to be one of the greatest drummers in rock history, and a genuine wild man of epic (and sadly fatal) proportions. Beast: John Bonham and the Rise of Led Zeppelin is the first-ever biography of the iconic John Bonham, considered by many to be one of the greatest (if not THE greatest) rock drummer of all time. Bonham first learned to play the drums at the age of five, and despite never taking formal lessons, began drumming for local bands immediately upon graduating from secondary school. By the late 1960s, Bonham was looking for a more solid gig in order to provide his growing family with a more regular income. Meanwhile, following the dissolution of the popular blues rock band The Yardbirds, lead guitarist Jimmy Page sought the company of new bandmates to help him record an album and tour Scandinavia as the New Yardbirds. A few months later, Bonham was recruited to join the band who would eventually become known as Led Zeppelin-and before the year was out, Bonham and his three bandmates would become the richest rock band in the world. In their first year, Led Zeppelin released two albums and completed four US and four UK concert tours. As their popularity exploded, they moved from ballrooms and smaller clubs to larger auditoriums, and eventually started selling out full arenas. Throughout the 1970s, Led Zeppelin reached new heights of commercial and critical success, making them one of the most influential groups of the era, both in musical style and in their approach towards the workings of the entertainment industry. They added extravagant lasers, light shows, and mirror balls to their performances; wore flamboyant and often glittering outfits; traveled in a private jet airliner and rented out entire sections of hotels; and soon become the subject of frequently repeated stories of debauchery and destruction while on tour. In 1977, the group performed what would be their final live appearance in the US, following months of rising fervor and rioting from their fandom. And in September of 1980, Bonham-plagued by alcoholism, anxiety, and the after-effects of years of excess-was found dead by his bandmates. To this day, Bonham is posthumously described as one of the most important, well-known, and influential drummers in rock, topping best of lists describing him as an inimitable, all-time great. As Adam Budofsky, managing editor of Modern Drummer, explained, "If the king of rock 'n' roll was Elvis Presley, then the king of rock drumming was certainly John Bonham."

SATB and piano, with optional bass and drum kit This dynamic collection presents four jazzy settings of favourite madrigals by Thomas Morley, John Bennet, and Orlando Gibbons. The first, 'Sing we and Chant it', is a relaxed jazz waltz with a compelling melody, and singers will especially revel in the rich harmonies of the expressive 'Weep, O mine eyes' setting that follows. 'Learned Poets' has a bossa nova feel with a strong rhythmic groove and characterful syncopations, and the urgent rolling tempo of movement four captures the text's calamity and titular call of 'Fire, fire!', also expressed by a walking bassline that continually drives towards the work's emphatic conclusion. The stylistic piano part may be played as written or serve as a guide, and a bass and drum kit part is available separately for trio accompaniment.

An incredible audio/book/charts package which features an all-star band including Dave, Chick Corea, Michael Brecker, John Patitucci, and Steve Lukather. A studio chart is included for each of the nine songs, plus a detailed book in which Dave describes his grooves and fills, and his analysis of each chart.

The Encyclopedia of Percussion is an extensive guide to percussion instruments, organized for research as well as general knowledge. Focusing on idiophones and membranophones, it covers in detail both Western and non-Western percussive instruments. These include not only instruments whose usual sound is produced percussively (like snare drums and triangles), but those whose usual sound is produced concussively (like castanets and claves) or by friction (like the cuica and the lion's roar). The expertise of contributors have been used to produce a wide-ranging list of percussion topics. The volume includes: (1) an alphabetical listing of percussion instruments and terms from around the world; (2) an extensive section of illustrations of percussion instruments; (3) thirty-five articles covering topics from Basel drumming to the xylophone; (4) a list of percussion symbols; (5) a table of percussion instruments and terms in English, French, German, and Italian; and (6) an updated section of published writings on methods for percussion.

The definitive book on bop drumming -- a style that is both the turning point and the cornerstone of contemporary music's development. This comprehensive book and audio presentation covers time playing, comping, soloing, brushes, more jazz essentials, and charts in an entertaining mix of text, music, and pertinent quotes.

Patterns is one of the most comprehensive drum methods available. Covering a wide range of materials, the books can be used in any order, or in any combination with one another. They are a must for developing the kinds of skills necessary for drum set performance.
In Sticking Patterns, Gary's unique approach to the use of stickings on the set is explored. Completely different from the rudiments, Gary's system is designed specifically for drumset performance, both for creating time feels as well as for filling and soloing. Also included are sections on accented single stokes, as well as the use of double strokes on the set.

This volume teaches five different ways to play eight pages from Progressive Steps to Syncopation for the Modern Drummer. There are five sections, each consisting of the eight solo exercises from pages 37 through 44.

In Percussion Pedagogy, author Michael Udow offers a practical guide for students interested in teaching percussion as well as improving their technique. Udow first introduces the bouncing ball system, a technical analogy that teaches students to resist the effects of inertia. Throughout the book, the bouncing ball analogy develops into a core performance principle based on integrated motions resulting in refined tone quality and meaningful musicianship. The book applies this principle to several instruments including snare drum, timpani, marimba, vibraphone, multiple-percussion, tambourine and triangle, bass drum, cymbals, tam-tams, and a variety of Western concert and world percussion repertoire. In particular, Udow addresses the importance of coupling stroke types with stickings to set the foundation for precise rhythmic playing and expressive musicality. Chapters also focus on integrated rhythms, breath, and pulsed rhythms, anatomy and physiological health, psychological health, purposeful listening, and the importance of singing when practicing. Offering solutions to common performance problems, the book's many examples serve as a paradigm for future problem solving. A comprehensive companion website complements Udow's teachings with a wealth of video tutorials and listening examples.