are there any other percussionists out there?

There's one right here!

Heeey

hows you???

You must be the only one, i like playing an individual instrument haaha

I'm good! I fear we are the only percussionists on this forum, but it's better than when I seemed to be the only one! I love playing an individual instrument; it's much more exciting. It means that you get better parts in orchestras. I love the weird instruments you get to play, though!

Yeah i agree.

But the best is how in orchestras everyone is prim and proper and sitting playing while we are running about like mental between like 5instruments.

haha

I love it.

You've completely hit the nail on the head there! I seem to spend my whole life running between instruments. I'm playing one piece at the moment where I've had to put the vibraphone in front of the xylophone, as it's the only way I have time to change between them. It does mean it's quite hard to turn the pages of music though! I absolutely love it. I end up hyper so often just due to the complete madness of running between instruments, especially when I'm playing more than one part at once. In orchestra, we were once trying to play a piece written for 10 percussionists, when there were only 4 of us; it was rather interesting, and completely manic!

Yeah exactly...that happens to us all the time.

I was playing a piece where in the first three or four bars i have to be on three instruments at once. its interesting ahahaa


But on saying that i wouldn't change it for the world.

We're playing a piece at the moment where my friend has to resort to playing the bongos with a triangle beater and a whip, as she has no time to change! And, I agree about not changing it for the world.

ahh percussion


what piece is that it sounds fun??

haha

It's called 'Sketches on a Tudor Psalm', and the main reason she's having to play it like that is because she's playing two parts at once!

Hey guys

Go check out http://www.noiseensemble.com/

I went to see them for the 2nd time in Horsham a few weeks ago.

Kat they're coming to Epsom soon, you've got to see what they do with their marimba! You'll love it.... I went to uni with the guy that directs this.

No percussionist should miss it and you will really appreciate the out takes they do! They are hilarious.... get all of Stixx with you.

I saw them a while ago, and absolutely loved it! I thought the orchestra sketch was particularly accurate! I'm not sure what you mean about the marimba though. I wasn't aware they were coming to Epsom soon; I might try to go again!!!

Thats rubbish they don't have a Scottish date.

I'm annoyed haha

anywho, go onto you tube to see the mirimba face/off

it was brilliant. Also while i was on have you saw the two spanish guys on youtube doing flight of the bumble bee??

search "flight of the bumble bee - xylophone" they will come up.

I'm playing that for my grade 8 in december :S argh ...

haha

anywho, must go, I'm all excited i just got my results back for my piano exam...i got a merit !!!! i didn't even think that i had passed. so im just a bit pleased

micky

Pity about them not having a Scottish date. If they ever come to somewhere near you, go and see them. They've got some other pieces on their website, which are all completely immense. I'm not sure which video of 'flight of the bumblebee' you mean, but I've seen the one of Percadu before; it's really good. I'm in a concert on Tuesday, where we're using the whole idea of moving around on a marimba, but with 'Pizzicato Polka'. Incidentally, there's an amazing piece called 'Afta Stuba' which is a marimba trio. Search for it on youtube; I think the best one is the one with red curtains! I'm currently trying to learn it, and loving it.

Good luck with your grade 8. I did 'Czardas' instead of 'Flight of the Bumblebee'; it's a nice piece. Well done in your piano exam!! I didn't think I'd done that well in my piano grade 5 last term, and I ended up getting a distinction, which was a bit of a shock! I'm really happy as I got a distinction in my grade 8 percussion. I just have to decide what I want to do now!!!

you are in short supply. many bands are advertising for percussionists

I'm not really a percussionist, save playing in the school steel band (but only for another two weeks ) and a teeny weeny bit of rather bad bodhran. But I just wanted to say how much I admire percussionists... We did a piece at orchestra recently with a load of percussion in it and it sounded really good, I'd love to learn one day

I myself am a percussionist, anything from drum set to xylophone. It really is fun. I mainly do percussion in our town orchestra, (though I'm gonna be getting into the violin section) and I play the timpani. They are quite fun.

I just want to say that it really isn't that hard to get into percussion. If you're in a group of some sort and you want to start, maybe see if you could go play the bass drum or the crash cymbals some time to get you started, and work your way up to snare drum and other things. Having experience playing a melodic instrument even helps because you learn rythyms and how to read music. So if you really want to, I say go for it!

Oh, forgot to mention, you have another percussionist here. Just earlier today I was sorting out how to play the crash cymbals and timpani simultainiously... good times.

I'm a drummer/percussionist, but I'm around rather infrequently...

HIYAR.
I'm a percussionist! Woot!
I recently got into the 4 Counties Orchestra of south wales! (:

I had a blast in rehersals.
I was jumping around and dancing around.
Fun!(y)
Then i got told off, and told i had to stand there normally. ):
and to count in my head!
I can't count at the best of times, when saying it under my breath!
Anyway.. i survived. (:
haha.

Yay - another percussionist! They seem to be few and far between. Well done for getting into the 4 counties orchestra. If you really need help with counting, just use your fingers. It's a bit more discrete than jumping around, I find! Rehearsal sounds like fun, anyway... Do you do grades?

Not really.
I was going to do my Grd 4 this term.
but i'm doing my Grd 3 Piano
And Grd 2 clarinet.
SO i thought i might skip it and do Grd 5 next summer (:

Sounds like fun! Do you play in any other orchestras/groups?

Yuhhh (:
South Wales 4 counties. (I LOVE IT! ;D)
And Merthyr Youth Orchestra. (:
not so fussed on youth orchestra. xD
but i go there... burns time.
I work on my clarinet more there (:

Do you get to do two instruments in the same orchestra? How does that work? Are you more percussionist or drummer?

Hello,

Tuned Percussionist, Clarinet and Recorder player, but mainly Marimba obsessive myself...

idk really.
haha.

And yes. I swap between the two each term.
Currently doing Percussion.
Due to exams there is a lack of people in the orchestra atm.
So we are doing sectionals.
We're doing Sabre Dance (:
Next term i will be doing clarinet. (:
Thats if they let me in the senior orchestra.
I hope they do. ;D

Hello peter_robin. I find it very easy to be a marimba obsessive; it's just one of the most beautiful-sounding instruments! Have you ever played on a 5-octave? It's heaven itself.

SamSmiles: I've played Sabre Dance before. Quite a difficult off-beat crash cymbals part, I believe! Good luck with getting into the senior orchestra.

Hi everyone im a percussionist from london been playing drumkit for about 10 years and about 2 years ago got into orchestral perc bigtime. Currently practicing only orchestral instruments getting ready for music college in sept. I got into every place i applied and am going the royal academy of music. Just wondering what kind of levels of ability people are here?

The stuff of dreams, have had a little plonk on a couple. I can take or leave the top two octaves, but those beautiful great planks at the bottom should be compulsory...

Has anyone heard/seen O Duo?

Great fun! They played the Minute Waltz and Flight of the Bumblebee in one concert - both playing on one marimba, running round it, and working a ocmedy routine in at the same time!

Hello drummerfear. Well done for getting in everywhere. I've done grade 8 (distinction) and am now working on some diploma stuff, which is good fun. How about you, apart from the fact that you're clearly very good?!

Peter-robin: The low notes are just amazing. Then again, so are the high notes. And the middle ones... I'm going to have access to one all of next year, which I'm very excited about!

Scurra: I have seen O Duo, and I've also done a workshop with them. I think they're great. Recently I played Pizzicato Polka with a friend, using the same sort of idea as they use with Flight of the Bumblebee. It went down well with the audience!

taa (:
Mr J said i can have a trial (y)

and i'm making my teacher get a marimba for my sabre dance thingy.
mwhaha.
i feel so evil.
but she wants me to do my solo in the middle on the vibraphone instead ):
GUTTIN'.

It's great news that you can have a trial - well done! Go you for getting your teacher to get a marimba; they're essential. Is the solo meant to be on the marimba? If yes, then it seems an odd request; they're not very similar.

oh idk.
i just get told what to do then do it.
aslong as she's happy. (:
haha,

hehe, fair enough. As long as it sounds vaguely OK.

mwhahaha. i'm trying to get my school to buy (me ) a marimba.

And is your quest seeming like it might be successful? I wish you luck in convincing them! Luckily, my school has one, so I didn't have to get them to buy one.

they said no! >;[
A) No money
B) No room to put it.

GRRR.

and i can't have a marimba for sabre dance.
because it's £100 to hire one.
and i'm not worth £100 !
The other two boys get xylophones! )';

Anyone fancy lending me a marimba for the night.. for free? (:
haha x
But, Seriously? (:

Well, that's annoying! I'm sorry that it wasn't successful. Would you have to play vibes in Sabre Dance, then? I'm sorry, but I don't have a marimba to lend you.

yep. on the vibes as usual.
i'm really annoying.
i feel once again, like the crappy person who can trampled all over and gets stuck with the things no one else wants to do )':

I'm sorry that you feel like that. Could you maybe talk to your music teacher about it, and see if they could give you something better to do?