PERCUSSION
SIMPLE & EFFECTIVE | Mark Shelton
After a lengthy worship service , a gentleman approached me and complimented my playing . Although I had played hundreds of notes scattered over an assortment of percussion instruments during the evening , this person mentioned a specific sound I had produced .
A single triangle note .
The gentleman ’ s comment underscores how playing something simple can be very effective . Blazing technique and a ton of notes come in handy when the music calls for blazing technique and a ton of notes , but we should also develop the ability to enhance the musical texture with a limited amount of sound . Read on for a few random ways to complement the music without pouring on a pile of percussion .
A DASH OF DING The brilliant timbres of both the triangle and finger cymbals have the ability to soar over the sound of a fifty-member orchestra or cut through a dense mix of electric guitars and keyboards . However , the power and beauty of the triangle and finger cymbals may move from tasty to tedious if those sounds are heard too frequently in a song . Search for musical moments that can be enhanced by adding a small amount of shimmering metallic percussion .
A SMIDGEN OF SAMPLES An electronic percussion device will give you access to hundreds of digital samples . These two electronic sounds can be highly effective but must be used sparingly :
• I refer to it as the ' verb tamb .' Imagine the sound of a tambourine played over an elevator shaft . Yeah , a very long decay ! If you do not already have that sound available , lengthen the sustain on a tambourine sample , add a healthy dose of plate reverb , and save it — but don ' t overuse it . Toss it in once every couple of measures or a few times within a phrase .
• You might hear it referred to as a bass drop , sub drop , or 808 drop . It ' s a low-frequency boom that immediately descends in pitch . Although it ' s a great effect when inserted at the right moment , the sub drop should be restricted to no more than once in a song and probably only once in the entire set .
MINIMIZE THE METAL ON THE MELODY The glockenspiel and chimes can add touches of brilliance to a song but be careful lest their sparkling timbres become too much of a good thing . Instead of doubling another instrument note-for-note on a melody , consider these options :
• Play only a fragment of the line .
• Select a few important notes of the line to emphasize .
ONLY ONE BACKBEAT Doubling the snare drum backbeat with a single strike on the tambourine is quite common and will give some variety to the groove . I usually choose one backbeat or the other in a measure ; seldom do I play both 2 and 4 . Less tedium and greater variety occur when the snare drum is heard alone on one of the beats and the doubled sound on the other .
Sometimes my choice of which backbeat to play is arbitrary , but often I make a decision based on the lyrics of the song . Listen to the phrasing of the lyrics and you will often find less vocal activity around either beat 2 or beat 4 . Playing on the backbeat with less vocal movement allows the tambourine ’ s tone color to do its job without competing with the lyrics .
A FEW MIGHT DO Spice up a groove by playing just one or a few tambourine notes in a measure .
Play each of these one-bar rhythms ( see notation ) while the drum set player lays down a standard rock beat . You will quickly hear how each of these easy patterns gives a subtle twist to the overall texture .
EASY ON THE BELL While the rest of the band might be playing an intensely rhythmic groove , simply hitting