Orchestral Castanets are fun to play but they take a bit of practice to learn how to play well. To play the castanets, hold them by the handles and keep one finger touching the top castanet. You then strike the castanet against your knee. You can play the castanets one at a time or together. […]
What is a Principal Percussionist?
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In an orchestra’s percussion section it is customary that one of the members of the section be designated as the Principal Player. The Principal Percussionist is usually the most accomplished percussionist in the section and as such they are expected to play the most difficult and/or solo parts in any of the repertoire that the […]
Music Theory Lessons
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This is a huge topic and not one that is easily learned for some people, me included. But, knowing the basics isn’t too hard to understand that’s what most of these lessons are all about. If you’d like our full list of percussion lessons, see our Percussion Lessons Index page.
Drum Circle Lessons
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The Drum Circle is not just about making music, it’s about communication and self expression. Look here to learn about playing in and facilitating a drum circle for your class, friends and neighbors. If you’d like our full list of percussion lessons, see our Percussion Lessons Index page.
Orchestral Percussion Lessons
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Soon enough there will be a full index of our orchestral percussion lessons here. Don’t worry! If you’d like our full list of percussion lessons, see our Percussion Lessons Index page.
How to Make and Repair Mallets and Instruments
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Some people like to make things just because they like to do it. Other people like to make and fix their own things to save money. But, everybody needs to know some basics because of emergencies that can occur. You don’t want to be caught with a broken timpani head and without the knowledge to […]
Lessons for Mallet Instruments
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Marimba, Xylophone, Bells or Glockenspiel, Vibraphone and Chimes are the instruments that will be covered in this section. Four mallet playing technique, exercises meant to help you know where the notes are and unique playing techniques that are needed to play each of these melodic instruments are all part of this section. Want more percussion […]
