Percussion Warm-up Tenets and Procedures

General Procedures
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Address the percussionists first – best if prior to beginning a warm-up session.
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Tell them that their warm-ups include:
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individual technique development
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ensemble unification
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intent and balance – specifically focus on balance and timing as a group
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agogic emphasis to help with winds, brass, and strings phrasing and timing
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For large percussion sections have practice pads for those wishing to work on stick technique if mallet options are not available.
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Place multiple percussionists on octaves of keyboards.
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Do not use bass drum or cymbals during the warm-up (unless for a specific purpose).
Personal Technique Reminders
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Proper hand grip and hand placement
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Appropriate combination of use of fingers, wrist, forearm
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Proper placement of stick or mallet onto the instrument
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Eyes up, particularly upon starting strike (know the “feel” of the location or height of the instrument).
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Percussionists must breathe “in-time” with the other instrumentalists to ensure unity with winds, brasses, and strings.
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When the ensemble is working on legato, percussionists work on roll technique on snare drum and mallets.
Percussion Ensemble and Listening Reminders
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Can each percussionist hear every other percussionist always? Demonstrate the octaves and colors produced by each instrument and each percussionist.
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Is the balance appropriate within and beyond the section – not only hearing each other, but also the entire percussion section
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Do the sounds of the mallets being used match each other and the sound required for the musical moment – in other words, is the right mallet being used?
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Are all percussionists performing with the same weight or accent (e.g. is everyone giving the same weight to beats one or three, etc.)
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Is everyone perfectly together within the section and with the entire ensemble?
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Is everyone phrasing together with the same intent and intensity?
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Remember – warm-ups are never just an exercise or time-filler.