MR. FERRARO - Drumline Instructor

Battery Percussion

1) Eights on a Hand (PDF)

2) Double Beat (updated) (PDF)

3) Stick Control (PDF)

4) Rolls 1 and 2 (updated) (PDF)

5) Doubles Strength Training (PDF)

6) Timing (PDF)

7) Grids (PDF)

8) Diddle Flam Training (PDF)

9) Rolls (PDF)

The ABHS Cadence
Snare Drum Part (PDF)
Tenor Drum Part (PDF)
Bass Drum Part (PDF)
Cymbal Part (PDF)

Pit Ensemble

1) Scale Exercises 1 (PDF)

2) Scale Exercises 2 (PDF)

3) Cadence (Cymbal Part) (PDF)

BACK TO TOP

Instrumentation:          The Marching percussion section is made up of two parts: The Drumline (battery) and the Pit (front ensemble).

Drumline:                     The Drumline is may consist of the following instruments:

• Snare Drum (5 Players)
• Tenor Drums (2-3 Players)
• Bass Drums (6 Players)

Each of the three instruments of the Drumline has its own job, as well as its own set of unique challenges, and no instrument is “better” than any other.  The bass drum’s job is to provide the “power” of the percussion section.  The snare drum provides the rhythmic pulse and controls tempo, and the tenor drums provide melodic movement.

Front Ensemble:          The Pit percussion section features all of these instruments:

• Glockenspiel (Bells)
• Xylophone
• Vibraphone
• Marimba
• Crash and Suspended Cymbals

Often, there are additional parts for the following instruments:

• Concert Bass Drum
• Tam-Tam (Gong)
• Timpani
• Various “traps” such as triangle, finger cymbals, wind chimes, etc.

Just as no instrument in the Drumline is more important than the others, there is an equal amount of significance between the Drumline and the Pit.  No placement is “better” than the other, and everyone will receive a placement based on his/her own personal strengths.

Equipment:                  The ABHS Drumline uses top of the line Yamaha Drums.  The ABHS Pit uses Cymbals by Zildjian and Sabian.  Everyone will receive the same exact equipment as everyone else in the line,that is, everyone uses the same type of snare drum, bass drum, or tenor drums.

Sticks/Mallets:              To ensure a consistent sound between individual players, everyone within a particular section will use the same stick or mallet.  These sticks can be purchased from any music store, but for ease of matching we recommend buying directly through the instructor.  The ABHS Drumline uses Vic Firth Corpsmaster Sticks and Mallets:

Snare Drum:               Vic Firth Corpsmaster Ralph Hardimon (Wood Tip) marching Snare Drum sticks (SRH)
There may also be a “color” stick used for special effect which will be determined at a later date.

Tenor Drums:             Mallet: Vic Firth Corpsmaster Marching Tenor Drum Mallets (MT1)
                                    Stick: Vic Firth Corpsmaster Ralph Hardimon Marching Tenor Drum Stick (Model SRHTS)

Bass Drums:               Vic Firth Corpsmaster Marching Bass Drum Mallets

• (18" Drum)-MB0
• (20” Drum)-MB1
• (22” Drum)-MB2
• (24” Drum)-MB3
• (26” Drum)-MB3
• (28” Drum)-MB4

The Snares and Tenors will receive a stick bag that attaches to the side of the drum to hold extra sticks.

Front Ensemble:          Members of the pit may use any mallet they choose for the instrument they are playing.  For your convenience, I recommend the following mallets and sticks, all of which are available through Vic Firth: (you are not required to buy all of the mallets)

• M114 – Great for Marimba, also good for Vibes and Suspended Cymbal rolls.
• M134 – For Xylophone or Bells
• M145 – Brass mallets for Bells
• M164 – Good general Marimba mallets
• SD1  –  Ride Cymbal (for parades)

Miscellaneous:             Members of the Drumline may also like to buy the following items:

• White Electrical Tape (all battery members’ sticks must be taped)
• High Tension Drum Key (available through Yamaha, model DK-30)

Special Notation:         Marching Percussion is a completely unique area of percussion and uses instruments   and techniques uncommon in the concert band setting.  For this reason, there are certain markings in your music that you might find confusing.  Below is a chart for understanding the basics of marching percussion notation, as well as explanations for special marching percussion techniques.

Normal Tap:                 A normal tap-note on the drum.
                                   
Accent Tap:                 An accented (louder) note.  The stick should strike from a higher position above the head.
                                   

Flam:                           The small note falls just before the beat, the large note falls on the beat.  The sticking indicates the hand for the large note.
                                   
Diddle:                         The note sounds as two notes each with a value of half the written note.  (An eight note marked with a diddle sounds as two sixteenth notes). 

This is achieved by allowing the stick to bounce after the initial stroke and using the fingers to control the rebound, pushing the stick back into the head.

Rim Shot:                     Pull the stick back so that the bead is half-way between the center and the edge and strike the head and the rim at the same time.
                                   
Buzz Roll:                    Multiple bounce roll.  The kind of roll you use in concert band.  Relax your grip slightly and push the sticks into the head to create a continuous “buzz” sound for the note’s written duration.
                                   
Open Roll:                   Several diddles in a row.  If each stroke is written out, the notes will sound at half the duration of the written notes.  If marked on one note, the roll should sound like steady 32nd notes with the sticking RR LL RR LL etc.
                                   
Rim Click:                    Play on the rim of the drum.  Similar notation is used for stick clicks and ride cymbal parts.
                                   
Open Notehead:          In Snare Drum music, this indicates a back-stick: play the note using the butt-end of the stick.  In Tenor Drum music, this indicates a cross-over: play the note with the arms crossed over each other.
                                   

BACK TO TOP

Below are some common questions that you may have about the ABHS Marching Percussion Ensemble, along with answers for each.

1. Q: What do I need to play for my audition?

A: It depends on which instrument you are trying out on.  If you are auditioning for the Battery, you will       be asked to play a few of the warm-ups used by the Drumline, as well as an excerpt of the Cadence.  If you are auditioning for the pit, you will be asked to play some of the scale-exercises used by the pit.  You won’t be asked to play them in every major key, but be prepared to play them in any key the instructor asks for.  You will also be asked to play an excerpt from the Cymbal part of the Cadence (see question #5 below).  All auditions will include a sight-reading piece on the instrument you are trying out for.  All audition materials are available at www.anchorbaybands.org/mt/drumaud.htm

2. Q: The Battery warm-ups include parts for all three instruments.  Do I need to know the exercises for all three instruments?

A:  No.  You will only be expected to perform on the instrument you have chosen to audition on.

3. Q:  What happens if I audition for a spot and I don’t make it? 

A:  You will still receive a spot somewhere in the percussion section.  Auditions are not to see who makes it in to the Drumline, but rather to see which instrument you are best suited for.

4. Q:  If I audition for a particular instrument and get placed somewhere else, does that mean that I am not any good?

A:  Absolutely not!  If you audition for a spot and don’t receive that spot, there are several possible reasons, including:

• The person judging your audition felt that you had strengths that could best be utilized on a different instrument.
• Several people auditioned for the same opening.  Unfortunately, we only have so much equipment, so sometimes there aren’t enough openings for the amount of people auditioning.

If for any reason you receive a position other than the spot you auditioned for, we guarantee you will still have a blast, and, more importantly, you will grow as a percussionist.

5. Q:  Why isn’t there a marching cymbal section?

A:  In keeping up with the most modern marching percussion ensembles, the cymbal parts were moved entirely into the front ensemble starting with the 2003 season.  This allows for a larger pit percussion section, which allows for more complex (and more fun) pit parts.  As a result, members of the pit will play either ride cymbal or crash cymbals during parades. 

6. Q:  Why do we have to buy our own sticks/how much do sticks cost/why do we tape our sticks/do we have to buy our own heads?

A:  Because most students have to buy their instruments (trumpet, flute, etc.) we feel that it is fair to expect the percussionists to buy their own sticks.  Snare drummers will undoubtedly break sticks throughout the season, but this is reduced by taping our sticks with white electrical tape.  This absorbs the shock of rim-shots and heavy accents.  Sticks range from anywhere from $7-40, however bass drum mallets (the most expensive mallets) will last an entire season, as will most tenor mallets.  You do not have to buy your own heads, unless frequent head breakage becomes a problem.

7. Q:  What is the “Cadence?”

A:  The ABHS Cadence is a piece of music that the Percussion Section plays during parades.  It remains basically the same from year to year, although minor tweaks do occur.  The old Cadence was written by Chris Lata and Justin Wrobelewski and was retired in 2004.  The new cadence was written by Jordan Ferraro, loosely based on a rough draft by Bryan McMullen.

8. Q:  I have heard that Drumline is really hard.  Am I going to have fun?

A:  Yes!  I don’t know of anyone who has ever quit the Drumline because they weren’t having fun.  And yes, Drumline can be challenging, but if you practice I guarantee that you will be more than capable doing it and you will have a great time.

If you have a question that isn’t included here, or if any of the above is unclear, or if you just want to touch base before your audition, feel free to Email Jordan Ferraro, the ABHS Marching Percussion instructor, at jferraro@anchorbaybands.org

BACK TO TOP

What is PDF?
PDF, or Portable Document File, is a file that is associated with Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have this, you can download it off of Adobe's website.

ANCHOR BAY SCHOOL DISTRICT WEBSITE