drumline technique packet - blugold marching band technique packet contrary to some schools of...
TRANSCRIPT
Drumline Technique Packet
Contrary to some schools of thought, percussion technique does not have to be “forced” or “hard.” Just as it is possible to overblow a wind instrument, it’s also possible to overplay percussion instruments, distorting the sound quality. We take a very relaxed, real-world approach to playing the instruments that is applicable to many areas of percussion, not just marching. Essentially you should find a GROOVE in everything you play so it FLOWS. Strive to stay completely relaxed from the neck, through the shoulders and arms, all the way down to the fingers. It is very easy to see and hear when a player is not relaxed. Tension affects sound quality and disrupts the flow of the music. However, relaxation and flow do not eliminate the need for chops—the two aspects complement each other. Chops are a necessity at the levels we strive for, IN ORDER to promote relaxed and efficient muscle movement. This packet will outline our approach to the technique of each battery instrument. Consistent, shared technique is what separates a good drumline from a group of percussionists who just happen to play together. A passion and care for technique will stand out at auditions, and will
contribute to the unified look, sound, and power that is the ultimate goal of the BMB drumline!
U pper Battery: Snare and Tenor
The following section will deal with technique considerations common to both tenors and snares. There are later sections for specifics on each instrument.
Heights
Heights are measured from the peak of the stroke. Seeing an entire drumline with consistent heights is a very cool visual effect that contributes to the overall impression of the group. Just as important as consistent heights is that when a hand is “off,”—not playing—it is COMPLETELY STATIONARY with the bead of the stick one inch off of the head. We will use the following heights: 3”: Three inches off the head. This is used for most unaccented notes, or “taps.” 6”: Six inches off the head. This is used for accents at low dynamics, and taps at high dynamics. 9”: A 45-degree angle from the drum head. Any note marked with an accent is this height. 12”: Also known as “vertical,” this should be a 90-degree angle from the drum head, and is played with just wrist. Any note marked with a “carrot-top” accent (marcato marking) is this height. Full: Also known as 15”, this height extends the reach from the peak of a 12” stroke straight upward by 3 inches. This is done though arm motion.
Strokes
Our goal is to be as relaxed as possible in every way. In the grip, this means that there is very little tension; if someone were to grab a stick from your hand, it should slide out. The stick should be allowed to breathe. In the context of actual strokes, this does not mean to play floppy, but it does mean that you should always be on the lookout for wasted energy. If accent-tap exercises are tiring and difficult for you to play, pay attention to how you are playing your strokes; maybe even video tape yourself! You will probably find that there is unneeded tension in your hands, some wasted motion such as a slice (the stick not traveling straight up and down), or that your strokes are not even performing their function (such as completely stopping the stick). EVERYTHING we play can be reduced to a combination of just five elemental strokes. These should be practiced alone and often to make sure that they perform their functions without any wasted energy. Before we get into the five types of strokes, there is an important caveat to mention. All of this focus on relaxation has the potential to produce a wimpy or thin sound. That is NOT what we want! Every stroke must be “pushed” or initiated, which is NOT the moment to be shy! A good trick is to visualize that the surface you want to strike with the bead of your stick is below the actual drum head. This is called “playing through the head.” It ensures that each stroke has an intensity of purpose and velocity, regardless of height. Even taps at 3” should have intensity. The height automatically produces the required volume; the goal is to play “through the head” at each height. Ok! Keep that in mind for each of the following strokes:
Legato stroke: U sed when there are multiple notes in a row of the same height. The stick is dropped from a specified height, or “pushed” down (through the head), and allowed to rebound fully. On the rebound, the hand follows the stick back up to the starting point, interfering with its motion as little as possible. It’s JU ST like bouncing a basketball: all you do is provide the initial push, and the stick does the rest! The fingers should remain in contact with the stick the whole time, but NOT restrict its motion. This can be a difficult balance to strike, but it is important. Allowing the stick to float freely in the hand sacrifices control, while gripping the stick wastes energy and chokes the sound. The hand should ACCOMMODATE the motion of the stick, not restrict it. When playing legato strokes, the motion of the stick should never stop. Dow n stroke: U sed on the last note that a hand plays in a phrase, or on an accent right before a tap. It begins just like a legato stroke: the stick is dropped from a specified height. However, instead of rebounding, the stick is “pinned” in place, allowing no rebound. This is NOT accomplished by tensing the hand or squeezing with the fingers! The stick is simply not allowed to rebound. The shock is absorbed in the index finger, top of the hand, and up the arm. It’s not uncommon to even feel the shock in your shoulder. Squeezing with the fingers chokes the sound, increases tension, and most importantly wastes energy. Just like in legato strokes, the fingers should remain in contact with the stick but not attempt to influence its motion. Contrary to popular belief, down strokes require no more energy, tension, or force than legato strokes. It is VERY important to master this stroke, as it is essential to uniformity of look and sound. U p stroke: U sed when a tap (an unaccented note) is immediately followed by an accent. The lower-heighted note is played, and the rebound is guided up to the height of the next note, where it is dropped. An up stroke is mainly a LIFTING motion, as if the drum head is scalding hot and the stick has to rush away after playing the tap. At faster tempos, the whip-like motion of the arm and wrist called the Moeller technique may be used. (Google that if you want more info. It’s pretty cool, but unnecessary in most music.) Buzz: Played by pressing the stick into the head and allowing it to vibrate, producing a “buzz” sound. Diddle: A diddle is an extension of the legato stroke. The stick is dropped from a specified height and allowed to rebound. However, the rebound is harnessed in such a way as to produce another stroke (or two) from the same initial impulse. At slow enough tempos, this can take the form of two or three wrist movements. For example, the following “double beat” pattern at 110 bpm is slow enough that each note is accompanied by a wrist rotation:
However, at faster tempos there is only one wrist movement, and the rebound is controlled by the pressure of the fingers. At these tempos, the motion of the arms becomes increasingly important. The faster the roll, the more you should rely on arm motion. Another thing to think about is the ability to conceptualize the sub-rhythm produced, and not just the check pattern. For example, when you see this:
Think about this:
In order to ensure that your diddle interpretation accurately reflects the underlying rhythm, experiment with your finger pressure. This is something that only YOU can figure out for yourself. The second note of the diddle should be just as clear and have the same volume as the first. Keep in mind that ALL of the fingers should remain in contact with the stick (avoid using only the index and thumb!), and that they should remain as relaxed and free of tension as possible.
Snare
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Right H and: The stick is gripped about a third of the way up between the thumb and the index finger. It should rest between the first and second knuckles of the index finger, and the thumb should be high enough that its side stays in contact with the rest of the hand. (Mind the gap!) The remaining fingers lightly wrap around the stick, maintaining contact with it at all times, but remaining free of tension. The triangle of the thumb, index finger and middle finger operates as the fulcrum of the stick. Drummers are often told that the top of the hand must face straight up, but this is unnatural. We play “American grip” (as opposed to French or German), which allows the hand to tilt out slightly. Left H and: The left stick should also be gripped a third of the way up, this time with the crook between your thumb and index finger. This is the fulcrum, and where the stick is primarily “held.” Next, curl your index and middle fingers around the top of the stick, and ring and pinky fingers around the bottom. Only the top segment of your index finger should be on the stick. The pad of the thumb should remain in contact with the side of the index finger. The thumb should not be bent, and should be “locked” in position. The gap to the left of the thumb should resemble a teardrop. The stick rests on the cuticle (bottom of the nail) of the ring finger. The ring finger and pinky should be curled and compact, and simply act as a shock absorber. All of the fingers should be as compact as possible, with no gaps between them. Just like in the right hand, none of the fingers should put pressure on the stick; they simply remain in contact with it for control. The left forearm should be parallel to the ground, with a straight line running from the elbow to the tip of the thumb. The stick protrudes at a 45 degree angle from this line. The left hand rotation is similar to
turning a doorknob: it is a rotation of the whole forearm (officially called pronation and supination). At the peak of a vertical stroke, you would be able to cup water in your palm; at the bottom of the stroke, the water would trickle out.
Tenor
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The stick is gripped about a third of the way up between the thumb and the index finger. It should rest between the first and second knuckles of the index finger, and the thumb should be high enough that its side stays in contact with the rest of the hand. (Mind the gap!) The remaining fingers lightly wrap around the stick, maintaining contact with it at all times, but remaining free of tension. The triangle of the thumb, index finger and middle finger operates as the fulcrum of the stick. Drummers are often told that the top of the hand must face straight up, but this is unnatural and results in tension. We play “American grip” (as opposed to French or German), which allows the hand to tilt out slightly. The butt end of the stick/mallet can be seen—it is not hidden under the forearm.
Playing Position
The head of the stick/mallet should rest as close to the head as possible without touching it. Arms should rest comfortably and naturally at the sides so that the shoulders are relaxed. Elbows should not be pushed away from the body, nor should they be unusually tight against it.
Motion
Motion should always be thought of as two separate components, or axes. The first component is the up-down motion of the stick—the y-axis on a graph. This is controlled by the wrist (and sometimes the arm for full or floated strokes). The second component is the horizontal drum-to-drum motion, or the x-axis. This should NEVER be accomplished with the wrist—that results in awkward motion, slicing, and wasted energy. The wrist moves the stick up and down, and the arm moves between drums. The separation of the two axes of motion allows for efficient and relaxed playing.
Playing Zones
U nlike the snare drum and bass drum, tenor drums are not played in the center of the head. Just like the timpani, tenor drums sound dead when struck in the center of the head. They should be played only about an inch and a half away from the rims for the maximum ringing sound. The picture to the right shows the ideal playing zones for each hand: red is right and yellow is left.
�ass
By far the most underrated section on the drum line, the Bass Drum takes more mental energy than any other section. The saying “Five as one, all or none” is no understatement; a bass line needs to work together to produce one sound.
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When approaching the drum, you should be as relaxed as possible. Tension is only going to make playing harder. Make sure you pinky is at the bottom of the mallet, this allows for maximum velocity so we can produce as much sound as possible. Your thumb and your index finger make up the fulcrum. This is the most important part of the grip.
Technique
The technique is very simple and should feel very natural. Place your forearm on a table with your palm facing in. As you rotate your arm out, it should travel slightly on the table, like a wheel. This is the rotation we are looking for. The wrist should break slightly as the arm is rotating out so the mallet can travel in a straight trajectory. On the upstroke, don’t think about using the fingers, but allow them to move with the mallet. On the down stroke, the fingers should be used to provide a quick snap of the mallet to achieve more velocity. We abide by all of the heights listed in above, we will go over these when camp comes around.
Cymbal Line
The cymbal line is one of the most fun sections in the entire band due to the amount of choreography including visuals, small dance moves, and the many different styles of playing. We will be working extensively on uniformity of techniques and sound quality as well as maintaining a fun atmosphere.
We will be wearing black gloves (baseball batting gloves) for performances. This is not just an aesthetic reason but the gloves will also provide protection from calluses on your hands and they will help to keep fingerprints off the cymbals after they have been cleaned.
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The grip we will be using is the Garfield grip. The Garfield grip is highly recommended since the weight of the cymbal is distributed over the entire surface of the hand. This grip is the most effective means of controlling the cymbals while at the same time reducing hand tension. The strap should feel snug, not tight, against your hand. If you are unable to perform a flip comfortably you need to loosen the strap.
Step 1- Hold the cymbal in a vertical position and put the entire hand through the strap to the wrist.
Step 2- Turn the hand so the palm is facing away from the pad of the cymbal.
Step 3- Rotate the entire hand downward and turn the palm toward the cymbal until it touches the pad. The strap should rest at the base of the thumb and forefinger.
Positions
Set
Set position will be used when at rest or not playing for an extended period of time. Set position is accomplished by placing the cymbals flat at your sides with a slight bend in your elbows. The knot of the cymbal should be about at your hip. Toes will be pointed at a 45-degree angle with heels together.
Flat
We will be utilizing the flat position for a majority of our techniques but this is subject to change depending on choreography. Flat position is achieved by holding the
cymbals out in front of you with elbows bent comfortably but not too much. Since cymbals are a fairly small compared to the rest of the drumline you want to make yourself look as big and as strong as possible. The cymbals should be held at approximately 45 degrees with the right hand cymbal parallel to the left hand cymbal. The cymbals should be a few inches apart when set in flat position.
H i-H at
This position is used when performing the hi-hat technique which is described in the next section. Hold the cymbals parallel with the ground with the edges placed against your stomach.
Choke
The choke position will be used when muting or “choking” the cymbals to stop them from ringing. Some techniques call for a choke and this will be the position we will be using for those techniques. We will use three points of contact to choke the cymbals including hips, insides of the forearm, and where your shoulder meets with your pectoral. The angles the cymbals are pointing inwards doesn’t matter as long as they do not touch.
Techniques
There are many different techniques we will be using throughout the season. I will describe a few of the more common techniques below. There may be some additional techniques used in the music but we will cover those as we encounter them. The angles described below only apply during cadences and during performances such as half-time of football games, parades, or exhibitions. Stands tunes will be choreographed as needed.
Crash
A crash is performed by first separating the cymbals from flat position so the right hand cymbal is pulled close to your shoulder and the left hand cymbal should be angled so that when you crash the tip of the right hand cymbal connects with the inside of the left hand cymbal which will cause the back of the left hand cymbal to contact the back of the right hand cymbal as the it passes over it. The crash should be in the form of a flam but you should not be able to hear the two separate parts of the crash. The result should be a full-bodied crash that sustains for a few seconds.
Tip – try to have as little of your hands as possible on the cymbals when performing a crash. This will allow for a better sounding, louder, crash that sustains longer
Crash-Choke
A crash-choke is performed the same way as a crash but after the crash you choke the cymbals against your body (see choke position). When you choke the cymbals make sure they don’t continue to ring after they contact your body. There should be an abrupt stop to sound.
H i-H at
A hi-hat is performed by placing the cymbals directly over top one another and pressed against your stomach. The cymbals should be at a 90 or 45 degree angle (depending on what surrounding techniques are in the music) pointing straight out from your stomach. You should not need to force the cymbals into your stomach when doing a hi-hat. Lift up with the right hand cymbal while not moving the left. When you push down with the right onto the left you should tense up your left arm so as to not allow it to be pushed around by the right hand cymbal while performing a hi-hat. The sound produced should mimic the sound of a drum set hi-hat.
Slide-Choke
Also known as a sizzle-suck, the slide-choke is a two part technique that is performed by sliding the right hand cymbal over the left hand cymbal. The distance you push the right cymbal over the left doesn’t matter as long as you get a nice sizzling sound. This sound is produce by holding the left hand cymbal still and allowing the right hand cymbal to sizzle on top of it. The choke part of the technique is performing by pulling back on the right hand cymbal so that you “catch” the air in-between the cymbals creating a vacuum sound. To get the proper amount of sizzling you need to practice how much pressure to apply to each cymbal. You can perform this technique in many different positions but we will be using flat position during performances.
Sizzle
A sizzle is performed by pressing the right hand cymbal onto the left hand cymbal allowing it to vibrate. This technique is very similar to the slide part of the slide-choke minus moving the right hand cymbal across the left hand cymbal. The positioned used for this technique is flat position.
Conclusion
We are not a drum corps style cymbal line. We are here to have fun and to put on a show, not to win awards. The more unison we look with our technique, the better. Do not feel afraid to ask questions about anything in this packet or pertaining to cymbals in general. This packet is open for changes that can be discussed.
