Coordination and control of instruments and body
- Play with increasing independence between the hands and feet on the drum kit
- Use various damping techniques as appropriate, including pedal damping on the vibraphone
- Efficiently retune while simultaneously playing other drums/other instruments
- Play, with confidence and greater control, a wide variety of orchestral/Latin percussion instruments, using a range of technical skills, e.g. finger rolls on tambourines, or a cáscara groove on timbales
- Plan for moving efficiently between instruments with greater independence
Ask learners to play just the snare-drum and bass-drum parts of complex drum kit rhythms, e.g. involving semiquavers, ensuring that they are played accurately and precisely. Later, add semiquavers on the high-hat to develop awareness of exactly where each snare-drum/bass-drum note should be placed.
At this stage, there should be more awareness of the relative dynamic levels of the different drum kit instruments so that a balanced overall sound is achieved.
To a slow pulse, ask learners to play series of notes or simple chords on the vibraphone or tubular bells, damping each one immediately before the next is played.
Learners need to develop awareness of the places where damping is desirable, e.g. chord changes, ends of phrases.
Encourage learners to practise finger rolls on a variety of surfaces, e.g. table- top, drumhead, using all fingers and both thumbs.
Be aware that if a learner executes a shake roll on the tambourine using their right hand, they will need to develop finger-roll techniques using their left hand, and vice versa. Issues of hygiene need to be remembered when licking fingers for thumb/finger rolls.
Encourage learners to play simple rhythmic exercises involving strokes on both the head and rim of the timbales, including a cáscara groove.
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