Beginning Percussionist: any suggestiongs as to solos, etudes, and daily practic

Question:

Beginning Percussionist: any suggestiongs as to solos, etudes, and daily practices?

our school has a xylophone, no marimba. i've been just doing varied scales and picking out melodies from pep/jazz band songs b/c auxillary percussion gets boring with that cowbell. any suggestions? books of etudes or scale studies or hints about sticking and actual mallets.. we have wooden and hard rubber mallets. anyone who is an expert in the feild of percussion: basic rudiments?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Ok, This question could be answered with a multitude of different suggestions.

Here goes:

For getting the books, go to www.steveweissmusic.com

Mallets: Blue Goldenburg study for xylo/marimba etc.
Methods of Movement: Leigh Howard Stevens
Study of Xylophone or Marimba: Green
Funny Mallets, Funny Xylo by Zivcovic
Any Mallet book by Thurgood Whaley

Snare: Anthony Cirone: 40 (Its the red book, I dont know the full title, but it's a staple)
Stick Control: George Stone
Any Snare book by Thurgood Whaley

Timpani: Start with a Whaley book for this as well.

In general, you want to get your hands on as much material as possible to sightread and better your skills. As for mallets and sticks, I would suggest getting yourself at least the following:

(Money isnt an object)

Timpani:
-- 1 Set of Vic Firth Cartwheels
-- 1 Set of Grover 'reds'

Mallets:
-- 2 Sets of Medium Marimba Mallets with wood handles (no rattan!)
-- 2 sets of hard yarn vibe mallets with rattan handles (these will work well for aux work as well)
-- 1 set of each of the following for xylo/bells
alum/brass
soft rubber
hard plastic
medium rubber
hard rubber

As for brands for mallets I am a fan of Malletech, but they are pricy, go with vic firth if they are a bit out of your range.

Snare sticks:

Any set of standard cooperman sticks.
vic firth bolleros
vic firth sd1 generals
1 set of Vic firth swizzle sticks (these have a mallet end and a stick end for combo work)

When money is an issue, go with the hard reds for timpani, get a set of vibe mallets, maribma mallets, and a medium set of xylo mallets and snare get the bolleros and sd1 sticks.

For learning rudiments, I would go to www.vicfirth.com and look up the rudiments there. They have great examples for you to follow and learn from.

As for mallet warmups, learn your circle of 5ths and from there do scale work, and arpeggios in major and minor modes, once you are comfy with all of that.

Once you have the above nailed (Proficient at 120), move on to using the blue goldenburg book and the beginning arpeggiated excersises and following etudes.

Doing all of that will set you up for anything you want to do in mallet work.

Hope this all helps