Percussion Curriculum for Grades 6-12

Subject: Music/Concert Band/Orchestra

Materials:

 Middle School Instruments (Grades 6-8)

o 1 Bass Drum (16”-18” x 32”-36”) in a tilting stand; school supplied beaters- one

general, two rolling; plastic heads

o 1-2 pairs of Hand Cymbals (16”-18”) medium crash; leather straps; no pads;

padded trap table; storage cabinet top or cymbal rack

o 2 Suspended Cymbals ( one 18” medium-thin, one 16” thin); stands; student

supplied mallets- one pair soft yarn, one pair medium-hard yarn

o 2 Snare Drums (one 5” x 14” metal or wood, one 6.5” x 14” metal or wood);

conventional wire snares; plastic heads; stands

o 1 Bells (2.5 octaves steel or aluminum with 1.25 width bar); student supplied

mallets- two pairs very hard plastic, acrylic, or rubber, two pairs hard rubber, two

pairs brass

o 1 Xylophone (2.5-3 octaves synthetic bars); student supplied mallets- two pairs

very hard plastic, acrylic, and/or rubber, two pairs hard rubber and/or poly-ball

o 1 Marimba (3-3.5 octaves synthetic bars)

o 1 Chimes (optional)

o 1 Vibes (high school marching instrument)

o Accessory Instruments: 1 Triangle (6”) with pairs of beaters and two clips; 1

double row jingle, wood-shell, skin-head Tambourine (10”); 1 Temple Blocks

(optional); 1 Ratchet, 1 Cowbell; 1 Wood Block; 1 Claves; 1 pair of Maracas; 1

 Guiro with scratcher; 1 Sleigh Bells; 1 Slapstick; 1 pair of Handle Castanets; 1

Machine Castanet Set; padded trap table and storage cabinet

o 1 Gong (24”-28”) with stand and heavy beater

o 1 Tenor Drum or Tom Tom (12”-15”) with stand, can be substituted with snare

drum with snares off

o 1 Timbales or Bongos- Latin American instruments as required

o 1 Timpani (1 pair minimum, 29”-26” or equivalent, 32” and 23” third and fourth

drums optional, all in copper bowls and pedal tuned; student supplied mallets

o 1 Drum Set (standard set optional, but recommended for training total

percussionist

 High School Instruments (Grades 9-12)

o Bass drum- (one 18” x 36”) in suspended, tilting stand; school supplied beaters:

one general, two rolling, two solid felt/chamois covered, one very articulate

o Hand cymbals - (one or two 16” to 19” medium-heavy, one pair 20”+ medium-

heavy crash); leather straps; no pads; cymbal rack for storage

o Suspended cymbals- (one 18” medium-thin, one 16” thin); student supplied

yarn/cord wound mallets: one pair soft, one pair medium-hard, one pair hard

o Snare drums- one 5” x 14” metal or wood, one or two 6.5” x 14” metal or wood,

one piccolo drum 4” x 14” or 3” x 13”, field snare drum as needed 12” x 15”

o Bells- (2.5 octave, 1.25” width steel barbells); student supplied mallets- very hard

plastic and/or rubber, hard rubber and/or poly-ball, wood

o Xylophone- (3.5 octaves synthetic or rosewood bars) student supplied mallets-

very hard plastic, poly-ball, and/or hard rubber, medium-hard rubber

o Marimba- (4.25 to 5 octaves, rosewood bar synthetic bars optional); student

supplied mallets- soft, medium, and hard yarn-wound

 o Chimes- (1.5 diameter tubes 1.5 octaves); school supplied mallets- rawhide

hammers

o Vibes- (3 octaves, variable speed motor); student supplied mallets- same mallets

as marimba

o Crotales- Individual or chromatic octave sets

o Accessory instruments- triangle: one 6” to 10”, two clips, two pairs of beaters;

tambourine: one 8” to 10” wood shell, skin head, double row jingles; cowbell;

wood block; claves; maracas; guiro with scratcher; sleigh bells; slapstick; one

pair of handle castanets; one machine castanet set; temple blocks; ratchet; cast

finger cymbals; afuché; whistles; wind chimes; bell trees; brake drums; hand

drums; padded trap table and storage cabinet

o Gong- (minimum 30”); beater and stand; small and medium tam tam

o Tenor drum, Tom toms- (12” x 15”); stands

o Timbales, bongos, congas- as many as needed

o Timpani- (minimum of 4-  32”, 29”, 26”, 23”); suspended copper bowls; pedal

tuned; plastic heads

o Drum set- 5” x 14” snare drum; 14” x 22” bass drum; 9” x 13” and 10” x 14”

mounted tom toms; 16” x 16” floor tom; pedal; throne; stands; optional: double

bass drums, triggers, electronic drums, drum machine

 Method Books:

o Intermediate Books: Intermediate Snare Drum Studies by Mitchell Peters,

Developing Dexterity for Snare Drum by Mitchell Peters, Intermediate Snare

Drum Method, Vol. 1 by Al Payson and Michael Folker

 o Advanced Books: Advanced Snare Drum Studies by Mitchell Peters, Time and

Motion by Fred Hinger, Master Studies by Joe Morello

Curriculum:

Percussion students will be able to:

 Play percussion instruments while demonstrating proper technique

 Play rhythms with steady timing

 Play on a keyboard instrument

o Grip should be similar to snare drum grip

 Hands should be 1/3 of the way up the stick, loose and relaxed grip

o Stroke

 Hands should be placed with one stick straight and one at a 90 degree

angle

 Mallet instruments should not be played over the resonators

 Identify different parts of percussion instruments

 Demonstrate responsibility in caring for the percussion instruments

Snare Drummers will be able to:

 Play the snare drum with good technique

o Grip

 Hands should be 1/3 of the way up the stick

 Stick should be held between your thumb, index, and middle fingers, with

the rest of your fingers curved along the top

 The grip should be relaxed

 Arms should be parallel over the drum

o Strokes

 Single Stroke
  The drum should be played from the wrists, with enough force that

the stick naturally bounces back

 Your grip should not stop the stick’s bounce

 Double Stroke

 Same concept as single stroke, but faster with 2 bounces

 Roll

 Similar to single/double stroke

 The stick should not bounce as high as the single/double stroke

 Multiple bounces, group in odd numbers (3, 5, 7, 9 stroke rolls)

 Playing

 The drum should be played in the area hallway between the

center and rim of the drum for the best resonance

 Demonstrate how to maintain the snare drum in good playing condition