TOP 10 MISTAKES WHEN WRITING FOR PERCUSSION

10.

Indicating the wrong mallets for an instrument.

Brass mallets on vibes? Try a hammer on a violin!

9.

Writing the glockenspiel part as heard.

You shouldnt have to climb a ladder of leger lines to read a glock part. Keep it in the staff.

8.

When in doubt, adding more suspended cymbal.

Yep, cymbals add automatic intensity to a piece, but so can a bass drum roll, a rousing hand drum
part, exciting mallet licks, or a hundred other combinations. Well-written percussion parts stand out
in the band repertoire.

7.

Better means more complicated, right?

A percussion part can be simple enough for a middle school, but it is the ability to use the different
tone colours of the percussion palette properly that indicates a maturity in writing, not that
impossible part for the timpanist that has them playing timpani, gong, crash cymbals, and triangle in
the span of two beats.

6.

Never trust Band-in-a-Box to write the timpani part.

Most bands have two timpani, if any. Although a professional timpanist with five timpani can easily
execute complicated chromatic passages, many timpani parts look like a mirror of the brass line, with
no thought to the breaks in each timpani's range, the glissando effect that occurs when switching
pitches, or the range available when only two timpani are available. Research timpani ranges and
arrange for two middle-sized timpani, since not every band will have the large 32". Also, amateur
timpanists are used to playing I, IV, and V fundamentals, and not much else.

5.

Leaving a series of dashes for the Rhythm part.

Now this is ok, as long as there are breaks to indicate fills, tempo changes, groove changes, etc. But
when it is measure 1 to the end straight dashes, it is pretty obvious that the rhythm part was a pure
afterthought.

4.

Requiring a catalogue's worth of percussion instruments.

You want to get a percussionist angry? Ask them to pull out two of every instrument and the kitchen
sink, then only write one quarter note for each instrument. If you want an instrument, make sure that
you know why, and not just to add a "coolness" factor to your composition. If in doubt, add a
diagram to your score. A good rule of thumb, if the percussionist can't reach everything in arms
length, you are probably going overboard.

3.

Not giving the percussionist enough time to switch instruments.

Physically try to crash two cymbals, strike a triangle quietly, and bow a set of vibes with a four
mallet grip in a span of a single measure. Percussionists have had to invent all kinds of interesting
hand grips to accommodate badly-thought-out percussion parts. In the end, your composition will
suffer, because the percussionist will be so focused on juggling instruments, that musicality will
suffer. Splitting the part between percussionists is the easiest thing to do.

2.

Writing for an octopus.

Yes, percussionists are good at playing more than one instrument at a time, but be sure that the part
is doable. Mark one optional, to ensure that the more important part plays through. As a
percussionist, it is almost a badge of honor to cover as many instruments as possible, just for
bragging rights, but be sure to remember that, at least currently, the Homo Sapien only has two arms.

1.

Never asking a percussionist.

Trust me, after having a good chuckle, a percussionist will definitely help you create a great part
worthy of a great composition.