Percussion Final

What are the 5 R's of Percussion?

Relax, Wrist, Rebound, Rhythm, Rudiments

What is a typical shell depth for a concert snare drum?

5"-6"

A marching snare drum with kevlar heads is a suitable substitute when a field drum is called for in concert music - especially on march style music.

False

What kind of batter head produces a characteristic sound for a concert snare drum?

A head without a reinforcement dot

Why is it important to have a specially designed head for the snare side (bottom) of the concert snare? (Select all that apply)

A snare head is very thin, which allows the drum to resonate freely

A snare head vibrates, which causes the snares to rattle

What is a good maintenance routine that should be performed on a concert snare?

Replace the snares if they are bent or do not seat evenly against the head

Why is it important to "seat" the drum head before you begin tuning a drum?

Seating the head ensures that it is in contact evenly with the bearing edge all the way around the drum

When tuning, it is best to tighten each lug (tension rod) in a clockwise fashion around the drum.

False

What is the best string to use on the snare strainer?

nylon or cable

When adjusting the tension on the snare strainer, you should tighten until you have a crisp sound at a LOW dynamic level.

True

Which of the options will NEGATIVELY affect the sound of the concert snare? (Select all that apply)

Playing with a thin drum set stick

Playing very close to the edge of the drum

Playing with a marching snare stick

What is NOT a good checkpoint for the proper snare drum playing position?

The arms should be exactly horizontal to the floor

The traditional grip is best suited for playing the snare drum.

False

Which are important fundamentals for the rebound stroke?

The stick should travel straight up and down

The sound of each stroke should match from left to right

When playing a multiple bounce, a tight squeeze on the fulcrum is necessary to produce a long buzz sound.

False

Which is NOT one of the fundamentals necessary to playing a great sounding multiple bounce roll?

.

Moving the hands as quick as possible during the buzz roll

What is a common problem with developing a good double bounce roll?

Playing with two strokes per hand instead of playing one stroke and a bounce

Which is a factor in determining the appropriate hand speed for an unmetered roll?

How loud or soft the roll is

When playing quarter note rolls that are not tied to a release note, you will play 5 stroke rolls.

False

Which is NOT an important fundamental technique to master when playing flams?

Always strike both the grace note and primary stroke at the same time

When playing soft or half-height flams, the grace note should be played softer than on loud or full-height flams.

False

What is NOT one of the advantages to using the "lead hand" sticking method?

It helps develop the weaker hand quickly

One advantage of the "natural" or alternating sticking method is that it immediately applies to all other percussion instruments.

True

Which are correct statements regarding ruffs? (Select all that apply)

The ruff can be played with either multiple or double bounces.

The grace notes on a ruff are generally played much stronger than grace notes on a flam

When playing ruffs with 3 or more grace notes, each ornament note should be heard

A five stroke ruff is played exactly the same as a five stroke roll.

False

A "Dreadlock" is a great alternative implement for a brush when louder volumes are required.

False

What is a typical size for a good concert bass drum?

26" - 36" Deep Shell

Why is a marching bass drum NOT a good substitute for a concert bass drum?

A typical marching bass drum is tuned too high

The shell is not wide enough to produce a dark sound

It is too muffled and will not create a sustained sound

Name a regular maintenance routine that should be performed on a concert bass drum.

Check heads for large dents or holes and replace as necessary

When changing a concert bass drum head, what are some maintenance routines that you can do? (Select all that apply)

Clean and lubricate the tension rods

Eliminate dust or loose debris from inside the drum

Tighten tension casing screws to eliminate potential rattle sounds

What type of head should be AVOIDED on a concert bass drum? (Select all that apply)

Heads with reinforcement dots

Heads with muffling applied

When mounting a head on a concert bass drum, which side of the counter hoop should be set against the head?

Flat side

After the head, hoop and tension rods are back on the drum, what is the first step necessary to properly tune the bass drum BEFORE beginning the tuning process?

Thread the tension rods using the fingers until all have a uniform starting position

Which head on a concert bass drum should be tuned LOWER - the batter or resonant head?

Resonant Head

How can you tell if you've tuned the resonant head too high or too low (Select all that apply)

You will hear a definite pitch if the drum is tuned too high

The drum will not sustain if it is tuned too low

What are the characteristics of a good concert bass drum sound?

It should have a low, dark sound with long sustain

What is the PROPER playing position for a performer on the concert bass drum? (Select all that apply)

The player should be standing behind the instrument

The player should be facing the conductor

The drum should be straight up and down (vertical) or at a slight angle

What type of mallets should you use for most general concert bass drum passages?

A large soft felt beater with a weighted head produces the best overall tone quality

What is the best general beating area on the concert bass drum?

Just off center of the head

Which of these is NOT a good option for muffling a concert bass drum?

Muffle by taping a towel or handkerchief on the resonant head

If your bass drum stand does not have a foot rest, what's the best way to position your leg to muffle the drum?

Rest your foot on the bottom of a snare drum stand or chair

For articulate notes (such as in typical marches), how should you muffle the drum?

Rest the right knee on the batter head and left hand on the resonant head

What is the best position to place your mallets on the drumhead for bass drum rolls?

Halfway between the edge and center

What type of roll should you use on a concert bass drum?

Single Stroke Roll

What is a good general size for a pair of crash cymbals?

18"

When cleaning your cymbals, which type of polish works best?

Use a polish specially designed for cleaning cymbals

What is the best type of cymbal strap for concert playing?

Leather cymbal straps without a cymbal pad

What is the best grip to use when holding the concert crash cymbals?

Hold the strap between the thumb and index finger, like a snare drum grip

Which are NOT acceptable places to set the cymbals while you're not playing? (Select all that apply)

Set them on a carpeted floor. Wooden or tile floors make too much noise

Set the cymbals on a music stand with a towel draped over it

Set them on a covered timpani or keyboard instrument

How is the volume of cymbal crashes controlled?

The volume is determined by how fast the cymbals come together

Which are attributes of good concert cymbal crash technique? (Select all that apply)

The player should avoid making noise with the cymbals when picking them up or setting them down

The player should have the ability to play crashes at all dynamic ranges

Avoid "air pockets" on crashes by not touching all edges at the same time

Which is the best way to muffle a cymbal crash?

Touch the cymbals against the body after the crash

How can you accurately determine how long a cymbal crash should be allowed to sustain?

How can you accurately determine how long a cymbal crash should be allowed to sustain?

What is the best place on the bar to play most keyboard percussion instruments?

In the center of the bar or on the edge of the bar

What can you do to keep your keyboard instruments in their best shape? (Select all that apply)

Never set books, stands or other instruments on the keyboard

Make sure the resonators are free of dust or debris

Check the string that holds the bars frequently for signs of wear

When restringing the bars on the keyboard, a coated cable works best because it is the most durable.

False

What is a good maintenance routine that can be performed on the keyboard?

Remove unwanted frame rattles by tightening screws or applying tape / moleskin

When playing any keyboard percussion instrument, always position the music stand at eye level so that you have a direct line of sight to the conductor.

False

When moving up and down the keys on large instruments, what is the best way to position your body?

Position yourself in the center of the range of notes you'll be playing and lean to one side or the other

When gripping the mallets, the shaft of the mallet should be allowed to move freely between the palm of the hand and the fingers.

True

When playing alternating strokes on a keyboard, the right hand mallet should always be placed above the left mallet so that both mallet heads can fit on the bar.

False

When deciding on which sticking to use on a particular keyboard passage, which are good considerations? (Select all that apply)

Determine where double stickings will eliminate awkwardness and use them sparingly

What type of rolls are used on keyboard percussion instruments?

Single alternating stroke rolls

When moving from one rolled note to another rolled note, which is NOT an important consideration?

Accelerate your roll speed immediately before you change notes to lead one sound to another

When selecting a mallet for any keyboard percussion instrument, you want to make sure that the mallet head is not harder than the keys.

True

Why is it important to have a wide selection of mallets for each keyboard instrument?

So that you can produce a wide variety of tonal colors

If a bar on a glockenspiel does not produce a long, sustaining sound, what is a likely problem that needs to be fixed?

The mounting screw is likely bent or tightened too much and needs adjustment

When playing on the accidentals of the bells, the best general playing area is the very edge closest to the naturals.

False

You should never use a brass or aluminum mallet on the bells because it will damage the instrument.

False

Which are acceptable ways of muffling notes on the vibraphone? (Select all that apply)

By using the pedal

By using a mallet that you're not playing with

Which type of mallet will NOT produce a characteristic sound for most vibraphone playing?

A mallet with a hard plastic head

A marimba should only be played with soft yarn mallets because the bars are softer than a xylophone.

False

Which is the best playing position for the chimes, music stand and the performer in an ensemble?

the music stand should be at just below eye level and as close as possible to the chimes

Which is NOT one of the common pedal systems found on timpani?

Peterson system

When should you replace your timpani heads? (Select all that apply)

When the heads have holes or significant dents in them

At least every 4 to 5 years for well maintained heads

Which is NOT a general maintenance routine that should be performed on the timpani?

Clean the drums and heads frequently with soap and water

Which are the most common sizes of timpani?

32" - 29" - 26" - 23"

Never move the timpani by grabbing it by the posts as this will affect the tuning of the drums.

False

It is not recommended that you sit while playing the timpani.

False

Which is a proper way to set up the timpani?

The drums should be positioned so that you can easily reach the proper beating areas while pivoting in a circle

You should always position the timpani so that the music stand is in a line between the player and the conductor

True

Which is NOT a common grip for timpani playing?

Italian

The proper beating area for each size drum is slightly different.

True

How do you determine which hand to "lead" with when moving from one drum to another?

Lead with the hand that is in the direction that you're moving

In cases where alternating the sticking on drum to drum changes is difficult, you should use cross-sticking instead of double strokes.

False

Which type of roll should you use on timpani?

Single alternating stroke roll

Which will NOT affect the roll speed necessary to produce the best sound on a timpani?

The temperature of the concert hall

What is the best way to muffle a timpani note?

With the back fingers

When learning to tune timpani, what is the first and most important skill to practice?

Being able to hear and sing a pitch

Ideally, where would a pitch tuned on the timpani sound its best?

In the middle of its register

If you are asked to tune a C on the timpani (bass clef - 2nd space), which drum would produce the best sound?

26" drum

If the timpani have tuning gauges, it is not necessary to learn to tune by listening and singing pitches.

False

Learning to sing intervals is an important skill to master when tuning multiple timpani from a single reference pitch.

True

Which is an example of "sympathetic resonance"?

If a drum is tuned properly, it will resonate when the same pitch is sung into it

By changing the speed of your stroke, you can manipulate the tuning of the timpani.

False

It is possible to achieve all of the necessary tonal colors and articulations on the timpani with just one pair of mallets.

False