Percussion Show Solutions "Shake Well Before Use"
by: Mike S.
One of trickiest situations a drummer/percussionists can find themselves in is that of a pit orchestra for a Broadway style show. Tricky because, among other reasons, he or she is often faced with a part that leaves little or no time to switch to a "proper" mallet.
Additionally, they may be asked to combine two percussion parts into one in order to provide the most percussion for the production. Then, by doing so, find that they've created a part that has them bouncing back and forth between two very different instruments. Forget the notes, the challenge becomes which stick or mallet to grab! In my spare time (as if my Day Gig wasn't enough) I freelance in just such orchestras and can offer a few of my solutions to these problems.
Perhaps the most effective and desirable approach is to simplify. Less is more for this setting. One common and effective way to simplify is to seek out multi-percussion sticks or double ended mallets . The most widely know versions of these are known as Swizzle sticks, but many of the companies now offer versions designed to solve the doubling situations that will occur in the a musical score. I personally have never "warmed up" to double ended mallets or sticks, but I do recognize how efficient they can be at tackling the problems that one will face.
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Percussion Show Solutions "Shake Well Before Use"
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