Transcript Document

Bass Drum and Cymbals
Master Class
Norwin Percussion
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Introduction
Appropriate playing areas
 Techniques
 Mallets and accessories
 Instruments
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Bass Drum
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Three playing areas on the head
1. Dead Center-produces the lowest
fundamental tone with the driest natural tone
quality-the least amount of resonance.
2. Just off center-produces a very low tone but
with more resonance or ring.
3. Near the edge-produces very little
fundamental with excessive resonance. This
superficial thin tone should be avoided.
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Playing area-cont.
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x
Most playing is done in
the area just off center,
producing a full-sounding
tone with a moderate
amount of ring. A direct
stroke, as played on
timpani, should be used,
not a glancing stroke.
Dead Center is used for
notes of short duration or
to achieve more
articulation and staccato
or secco effects.
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A smooth legato stroke is
appropriate for most big notes.
Sometimes a crisp staccato
stroke is needed.
x
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x
Rolls should be played with
two large bass drum mallets,
not timpani mallets, in an area
between the center and the
edge. NEVER double stroke a
roll on the bass drum.
Also, a slightly tilted drum
allows for easier movement
with mallets and muffling.
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Muffling
 External muffling techniques should include
varying amounts of finger and hand dampening
on the playing head, usually after the stroke is
made as for timpani.
 Slight amounts of dampening may be used
while striking the head if this technique
produces the desired tone.
 Such dampening can be accomplished by using
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Towel
Leg
Cloth
Hand
Arm
Video now, Glover http://www.vicfirth.com/education/bassdrum/gauger.html
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Mallet selections
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A basic set of concert bass
drum mallets would consist of
at least one general
articulation sostenuto mallet
and a matched pair for rolling
and fast articulate playing.
 Try to stay away from double
headed mallets or “carpet” like
mallets.
 As with any mallets/sticks you
use, NEVER place them on
the stand. You should always
have a mallet/stick tray.
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Bass Drum in other languages
Grosse Caisse-French
Grosse Trommel-German
 Gran Cassa-Italian
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Interpreting Music
We as percussionists have to think like a
wind player when interpreting lengths,
articulations, and concepts of notes. The
way we approach a half note must be
different from the way we approach a
quarter and eighth note.
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Music Example
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Please follow the following example and note the
different lengths of notes:
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Cymbals
 Cymbals have many
nuances and can
present a great
number of problems
while trying to play
certain passages in
music.
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Proper Striking areas with Crash
Cymbals
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NEVER strike the cymbals to where the
edges are meeting. This will create an
air pocket. You MUST strike them
anywhere from an inch to an inch and a
half away from the edges meeting
exactly
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Straps
• Do NOT put your hands through the
straps…unless it is marching band.
• The thumb and index finger should
hold the strap like a drumstick. It
my be uncomfortable, but this allows
for the most ring to occur.
• Tying a cymbal knot-demo.
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Playing Motion
• If you begin with the
left cymbal edge above
the right, you must
crash your right
cymbal down.
• If you begin with the
right cymbal edge
above the left, you
must crash the right
cymbal up.
• Also, always think of
pushing into the
cymbals as opposed to
a glancing stroke
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Muffling:
Knowing when to muffle and when to let
the cymbals ring is tricky.
Always listen to what the band is playing
and match what you hear.
When muffling cymbals, push the cymbals
into your stomach to immediately stop the
sound.
NEVER put the cymbals together before
pushing them into your stomach area...you
are only trying to stop the ringing, not
create another sound.
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Commonly seen cymbal markings
• l.v.=let vibrate
• Chk=choke
• O over the note=crash
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Types of Crashes, sounds
Swish or zing
Ting
Plate roll
Fusion crash
Hi-hat
Sizzle crash
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Techniques
Downward crash
 Upward crash
 One hand still
 Both hands moving
 Out and up
 Flam-bottom first
 Flam-top first
 Warming up the cymbals-the myth
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Cymbal in many languages
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Cymbales-French
Becken or Tellern-German
Piatti or Cinelli-Italian
Music Example
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Please follow the
example starting at
letter Q.
(Night on Bald
Mountain)
5.40 piccolo
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Suspended Cymbal
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Suspended Cymbals should be “suspended”
whenever possible. Try to avoid drumset
cymbal stands when performing with only one
suspended cymbal.
ALWAYS roll on the outermost edge of the
cymbal to produce the “washy” sound.
The bell of the cymbal is only used when
notated
The middle of the cymbal is reserved for
drumsticks or other harder mallet
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Acceptable Mallets on the cymbal
Yarn
 Drumstick
 Brushes
 An occasional triangle beater
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Things to remember when
playing suspended cymbal
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SLOW DOWN your roll. More times than not we roll too
fast.
Never double stroke a roll.
Play through to the end of the roll. Think 4 e + a 1 to
end the roll.
Single hits should be done with both hands when using
yarn or a soft mallet. (Make sure you warm the cymbal
before a loud single note…just like the gong). Only one
when using a drumstick or other hard mallet.
Pace yourself on long rolls. So many people overplay
crescendos and reach the peak way too early.
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