BloodyHarmonist
Tiger Talk Trainee
Reged: Nov 24 2002
Posts: 17
Loc: New Jersey
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I have been playing mallet instruments for about 2 years now, and sadly, that means I have more experience on the instrument than anyone else at the school. (At this point in time we do not have a full time percussion instructor, and our drum techs for the marching season was not a mallet player.) We have been promised a pit tech for next marching season, but in the meantime I have one girl in the school now planning on switching to mallets, and in February I will have 6 or 7 freshmen coming in who will be placed in pit, 2 of which are deaf, and until probably June or July when marching season starts in full swing, myself and another girl will be in charge of teaching them the basics.
How would you reccomend instilling good technique in their brains, as that was one of the major problems this year. By the end of the year, most could play their music, but they used entirely too much arm, and I'm unsure how to thoughly communicate the concept of using mostly wrist. This is especially difficult for me because I know my technique is not as good as it should be (at least it won't be until I get my butt kicked by my indoor instructor) so I can't even demonstrate to them what good technique should look like.
Another issue is attitudes. We had 5 people in the pit this year, and two of them couldn't be bothered with it. They were too interested in learning snare and tenors for the drumline next year, and so barely could play their music. How can I get through to them that they need to worry about doing well in the section they are in before they can be "promoted" to the drumline?
Also any exersizes I can use with them would be appreciated. I already have 6-3-2-1, 8 on a hand, Green, and a few others that our old instructor made up. Any other really simple exersizes that allow work on technique, or anything that promotes familiarity with the keyboard or knowing how to read music would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
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Nathan
Tiger Talk Pro
Reged: Oct 27 2002
Posts: 84
Loc: California
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When I first started playing mallets, for our first practice, our instructor had us play a basic chromatic scale, it was the hardest thing any of us had ever done, since we were all freshmen with no knowledge that there was even an instrument called a marimba. Anyway, it really helped us get acquainted with the keys and basic movement of the hands, left-right-left-right, etc.
Also, right from the start, our instructor had us learning major scales, but not just the scales, but also how many sharps/flats were in that key and how it would be written in music. It was very helpful. Finally, she had us play the pentatonic scale, I presume just to get us familiar with technique.
I hope I've helped
Nathan
PS, how does the exercise Green go? I've never heard of it.
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BloodyHarmonist
Tiger Talk Trainee
Reged: Nov 24 2002
Posts: 17
Loc: New Jersey
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Green is also known as 25 legatos or Krause scales.
In the key of F
F G A Bb C Bb A G F G A Bb C Bb A G F G A B C D E F G F E D C D E F G F E D C D E F G F E D C Bb A G F.
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Nathan
Tiger Talk Pro
Reged: Oct 27 2002
Posts: 84
Loc: California
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Oh, okay. We play an exercise similar to that but we only go up and down the scale half-way once, not twice... I didn't know it had a name.
Thanks
Nathan
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