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RE: Percussion parts

Tim Morgan said:
>In message <0.77bb51e6.25805572@xxxxxxx>, CPMcH@xxxxxxx writes
>>Finally, since I seem to have switched into moaning mode, why are there
never
>>enough percussion parts with a set? There are probably parts for half a
dozen
>>big instruments, and even more small ones and you get 2 parts, or 3 if you
>>are lucky.

>I guess it's because the average brass band has 2 or 3 percussionists,
>and this is the composer's way of making sure that all instruments they
>write for will be played.  Each player takes on a part, and is
>responsible for playing all the instruments thereon.  There may be
>several instruments (if I remember rightly, Dances and Arias requires 17
>separate pieces of percussion), but only 3 can be played simultaneously!

There are several test pieces (and even some proper music!) out there that
have out and out stupid percussion parts.  Quite often there will be two
parts, which contain too much percussion for two people to play, and so you
have to play with three players.  But there's only two parts.  What are we
supposed to do?  Photocopy both of them, and make the poor third player play
off both at once, switching between them at specific points?

My solution in the past has been to rewrite the percussion parts for three
players.  This also allows me to target instruments to specific people.  If
your band is like us, then you have one person who can play tuned
percussion, and the rest cannot.  It's no use having the tuned stuff spread
across two parts in this situation, so the only way out is to rewrite it.
Works for me!

While I'm on the subject, at a recent contest we had six music stands with
percussion music on.   (snare drum, glock, xylo, vibes, timps, bass drum).
My (rewritten) music was arranged so that (for me, anyway) each stand that I
used (glock, xylo, vibes, timps) had the music on that was specific to that
instrument.  I knew where and when to move, and knew that the music on each
stand would be there ready.  I did not have enough time to take the music
with me when I moved position.

Just my 2p (sorry, 2 euros),

Tim Sawyer
Percussion
Rothwell Temperance Band
http://www.rtb.org.uk


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