Bass Drum and Cymbals Master Class

1. Bass Drum and Cymbals Master Class Norwin Percussion

2. Introduction • Appropriate playing areas • Techniques • Mallets and accessories • Instruments

3. Bass Drum • Three playing areas on the head • Dead Center-produces the lowest fundamental tone with the driest natural tone quality-the least amount of resonance. • Just off center-produces a very low tone but with more resonance or ring. • Near the edge-produces very little fundamental with excessive resonance. This superficial thin tone should be avoided.

4. Playing area-cont. • 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. x x

5. A smooth legato stroke is appropriate for most big notes. Sometimes a crisp staccato stroke is needed. 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. x x

6. 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 • Towel • Leg • Cloth • Hand • Arm • Video now, Glover http://www.vicfirth.com/education/bassdrum/gauger.html

7. Mallet selections • 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.

8. Bass Drum in other languages • Grosse Caisse-French • Grosse Trommel-German • Gran Cassa-Italian

9. 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.

10. Music Example • Please follow the following example and note the different lengths of notes:

11. Cymbals • Cymbals have many nuances and can present a great number of problems while trying to play certain passages in music.

12. Proper Striking areas with Crash Cymbals • 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

13. 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.

14. 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

15. 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.

16. Commonly seen cymbal markings • l.v.=let vibrate • Chk=choke • O over the note=crash

17. Types of Crashes, sounds • Swish or zing • Ting • Plate roll • Fusion crash • Hi-hat • Sizzle crash

18. 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

19. Cymbal in many languages • Cymbales-French • Becken or Tellern-German • Piatti or Cinelli-Italian

20. Music Example • Please follow the example starting at letter Q. (Night on Bald Mountain) 5.40 piccolo

22. Suspended Cymbal • 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

23. Acceptable Mallets on the cymbal • Yarn • Drumstick • Brushes • An occasional triangle beater

24. Things to remember when playing suspended cymbal • 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.