Keyboard Percussion

Why have many teachers switched to a keyboard-centered focus for their beginning students?

desire to lay a foundation for solid reading abilities, reaction to more demands from literature, keeps percussionists and band members working on same material longer

Disadvantages of a keyboard centered focus for their beginning students

detrimental to technique-building

Parts of all keyboard instruments

bars, rails, resonators, and frame

The bars of what instruments are made of rosewood

Xylophone and Marimba

The bars of what instruments are made of aluminum or steel

Vibraphone, Glockenspiel, Chimes, Crotales

Rails

posts - small pieces of metal used to hold up suspension strings

Resonators

tubes that amplify resonance of the bar: does not cause the bars to ring, sensitive to heat/humidity

The resonator for the glockenspiel is…

the box

The parts of a mallet

shaft, core, and wrap

Materials for mallet shafts

birch, rattan, fiberglass

Materials for mallet cores

rubber, plastic, brass/aluminum

Materials for mallet wraps

yarn - marimba, cord - vibraphone, can be interchanged

Very edge of black keys

can be used when necessary, middle of the mallet on the corner, should not do on xylophone or glockenspiel

Beginning exercises

Single note exercises, shifting, double stops, and scales

Transporting keyboard instruments

always push from the large end board, never push from rails, use two people, bent posts = door frame damage, disengage the brakes, lowest position possible in height when moving

_ shafts can be replaced using dowels bought at craft store

birch

Keep mallets…

in mallet bags and yarn up!