Are there any true percussionists out there??


M

MightyMouse01

New Member
I got to ask this question because when I get into conversation with people who are in bands and they ask what do I play and I say bass drum, they look at me like , "Awe, he don't know sphit, he a drummer.'' But unlike a lot drummer I can read music, play almost any other percussive instrument and I have a natural ear for music. So, I want to now how many other percussioniat are out there as opposed to drummers. For example, if you play tenor drum and only tenor drum and you can't read music, then you a drummer, not a percussionist!! :idea: :idea: :idea: :idea: :idea:
Get it???
If I can figure this out I can stop arguing with the lil' boys and instead have convo's with the grown folks.
 
Hmm

I also wanted to ask why do people who don't play percussion sometimes take that approach to us?? We know a lil' bit too, give a k***** a chance, damn!!!
 

Re: Hmm

Originally posted by MightyMouse01
So, I want to now how many other percussioniat are out there as opposed to drummers...

I also wanted to ask why do people who don't play percussion sometimes take that approach to us?? We know a lil' bit too, give a k***** a chance, damn!!!
Click to expand...

As a brass player, I will tell you that there are not very many percussionists out there at all. The place that breaks most down is mallets. It is amazing how many drummers I know who can sightread any rhythm that I throw at them but can't play a reasonable etude with a 2 weeks to practice it. I guess that is really what it comes down to for the rest of us. Rhythm is only half of the assignment; melody/harmony must also be within the capability of the complete musician.

The director of our local middle school does not allow 6th graders to play snare or bass drums - only mallets - at school. They learn to do all of their rolls, paradiddles, flams, etc on mallets. They learn scales and chording. Then, only after they have proven themselves, are they allowed to move to drum heads. The best part is that their stickbags are full of mallets by the time they finish eighth grade.
 
Right

That's cool because that's the way I was taught to play not just pickin' up sticks mackin' noise. More people should learn percussion through the proper channels.
 
I dig it, when I was in High School my band director always told me that there was no such thing as beating a drum, but you had to take the time and practice to Play the instrument, I also played every instrument in the Percussive section, from Bells to Quints, Snare to tenor to bassdrum and even Cymbals which I was already accustomed to play since I've been playing Drumset since I was 7yrs old. Those few words ment alot to me cause once he told me, I stopped beating my drumset and Played it. Soon after I was blessed to read Music upon my entry to high school and learn instruments really quickly.

D.G.Steez
 
Originally posted by MightyMouse01
I got to ask this question because when I get into conversation with people who are in bands and they ask what do I play and I say bass drum, they look at me like , "Awe, he don't know sphit, he a drummer.'' But unlike a lot drummer I can read music, play almost any other percussive instrument and I have a natural ear for music. So, I want to now how many other percussioniat are out there as opposed to drummers. For example, if you play tenor drum and only tenor drum and you can't read music, then you a drummer, not a percussionist!! :idea: :idea: :idea: :idea: :idea:
Get it???
If I can figure this out I can stop arguing with the lil' boys and instead have convo's with the grown folks.
Click to expand...
exposure is the keyword. a lot of drummers were never exposed to the world of mallets. and there are a lot of drummers out there that chose not to dive into the world of mallets, therefore exposure and the desire to learn mallets is the issue. now by me being a percussionist, i never try to knock a guy or gal for not wanting to learn more because that's their choice. so if you are and person that is mallet savvy then just be proud that you have one more skill in your repertoire. besides in marching band, unless you have a pit, you won't need mallets anyway unless you are marching tenor, bass, quits, or sixes.....(i know they are not yarn it is just case in ponit.
 
Re: Re: Are there any true percussionists out there??

Originally posted by tellitlikeittiz
exposure is the keyword. a lot of drummers were never exposed to the world of mallets. and there are a lot of drummers out there that chose not to dive into the world of mallets, therefore exposure and the desire to learn mallets is the issue. now by me being a percussionist, i never try to knock a guy or gal for not wanting to learn more because that's their choice. so if you are and person that is mallet savvy then just be proud that you have one more skill in your repertoire. besides in marching band, unless you have a pit, you won't need mallets anyway unless you are marching tenor, bass, quits, or sixes.....(i know they are not yarn it is just case in ponit.
Click to expand...


Well, I feel what you sayin' to but I don't put it on the students I put it on the teachers out here. I understand that a lot of directors are by themselves and that hurts alot of kids trying to learn the percussion instruments as they kind of get pushed to the side.
 
i would even suggest going to or taking your students to a DCI competition or even order the videos


they utilize a wide array of percussion instruments in the pit area as well as on the field.

Its time that we as educators get away from always having our kids go BOOM CHAT

or furthermore to even consider some players "complete" percussionists just because they know a multitude of rudiments
Of course there is nothing wrong with knowing rudiments but that is only the tip of the iceberg.

Sadly many (not all) cats in black college bands and in high school feel that if they can play their rudiments faster than the next guy then they are the bomb.

I say to them

" oh you wanna challenge ? well lets run all our major scales in circle of fourths in double octave on marimba"

" lets pull out a timpani etude"

etc

then you will be able to tell the difference between a Dummer and a Percussionist.

nuff said?
 
Quick thought

I know there's more percussion players (percussionists, drummers, what have you) on this site than this, so I think that I might have struck a nerve:eek2: :eek2: or uncovered some deeply-rooted fears or something like that with this topic. What do ya'll think ???? If so my bad!!:cool: :cool: :D
 
I consider myself a percussionist. I actually started reading music before I got to high school. I was in orchestra during 6th grade. I played the violin. This is where I first learned to read music. I started band in the 7th grade and continued in band to college.
 
Originally posted by roadblock-2-spr97
I consider myself a percussionist. I actually started reading music before I got to high school. I was in orchestra during 6th grade. I played the violin. This is where I first learned to read music. I started band in the 7th grade and continued in band to college.
Click to expand...
the movie drumline scratched a scab off a sore.....there are a lot of so called cold drummers out there that can't read a lick of music.....but they are cold.....hey that is the nature of the game. i think the only way that we can turn this around is by going back into the middle and elementary schools and teaching these lil cats how to read and exposing them to mallets and piano and bells and so forth not just snare tenor bass cymbals, and quints and sixes.......it's not their fault, but is our reality to atleast try to get them young.
 
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