For over 30 years, we have manufactured some of the finest, most innovative concert snare drums for percussionists across the globe. In the past few years many drummers have asked us to design & fabricate custom snare drums. While we have never promoted this part…
Archives for January 2013
You may be aware that castanets entered the symphonic orchestrator’s toolbox via Spanish flamenco music. Along with the sound of the 5-string guitar, the “clacking” of the castanets defines the Andalusian flavor associated with flamenco music. Traditionally, one or more flamenco dancers play the castanets.…
One of the most important musical choices a percussionist makes—regardless of the instrument—is mallet selection. Selecting the most appropriate mallet for a passage makes all the difference but with the hundreds of mallets available, how does one make this choice. Here are some principals that…
Steve Fitch, born in Parkersburg, West Virginia, plays percussion, associate principal timpani and drum set with The Phoenix Symphony. He has performed in the Drum Corps International Championship finals, and attained sixth place in DCI’s “Snare Drum Individuals.” Steve earned his bachelor’s of music degree…
While there are a number of different mallet instruments that we perform on as percussionists (marimba, xylophone, glockenspiel, chimes, etc.), there is one important aspect to include in your performance; playing with phrasing and musicality. Of course, this is easy to say, though, hard to…
Our good friend, Bill Manley, stopped by the Grover factory yesterday to select a pair of our new Pro Concert Castanets. Bill, a very busy Boston based percussionist, is heading south next week to play the season with the Sarasota Opera, where he holds Principal…
Always hold the triangle between the music and conductor where you can see both without moving your head. Experiment with different playing areas-and the amount of beater surface-to get the optimal sound for the specific passage. Experiment with different triangles to get the optimal sound…
Prepare your music at home first. Obtain your parts from the orchestra or ensemble that is employing you. Don’t feel bad about bothering a principal percussionist or librarian. It’s their job to get you the music so you have enough time to prepare it thoughtfully.…
Multi-Percussion is a fantastic musical medium that can invite equal creative energy from both the composer and performer. Below are three ideas I like to be mindful of. Consider what multi-percussion is. The composer is asking you to combine several different percussion instruments to create…
Matthew Darling is a Professor of Music at California State University, Fresno, where he has taught percussion since 1991. In addition to teaching, Matt is the principal timpanist/percussionist with Music in the Mountains (Nevada City, CA), a position he has held since 1987. Matt is…