The Basics

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The Basics

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The Basics

Percussionists play several instruments.Snare drum and keyboard percussion instruments provide the basic techniques to play all other instruments in the percussion section.Ask your director to help you identify each of these basic percussion instruments and mallets you may have in your school's band room.

INSTRUMENT

Concert Snare Drum with stand

Concert Bass Drum with stand

Crash Cymbals (16" to 18")

Suspended Cymbal and stand (16" to 18")

Triangle with clip

Wood Block

Timpani (23",26",29",32")

Bells

Xylophone

Chimes

Marimba

Vibraphone

General Accessories:

Tambourines (with and without head),

Cowbell,Bongos,Congas,Timbales,

Maracas,Guiro,Claves,Castanets,

Slapstick,Sleigh Bells,Slide Whistle.

Now im gonna teach you notes and grips.

MALLET/STICK

5B or 2B sticks

1 pair medium bass drum mallets

Played in pairs

1 pair medium yarn mallets

1 pair metal beaters

1 pair medium rubber mallets

1 pair hard rubber mallets

1 pair general timpani mallets

1 pair hard timpani mallets

1 pair very hard lexan mallets

1 pair hard rubber mallets

1 pair medium rubber mallets

2 plastic or 2 rawhide mallets

Various yarn and rubber mallets

To learn the grips click this.For matched look at this page.For traditional look at matched for your rifgt hand and go to the bottom and click traditional for left hand.

If you want more detailed info click this.

You count your quarter notes 1,2,3,4 per measure that means there are 4 beats a measure.You can count 8 notes 1&,2&,3&,4&.You hit the sticks on and also.You count 16 notes 1e&a,2e&a,3e&a,4e&a.Notice that the number of notes in one measure equals the name of the note.Now we are going to