PERCUSSION
10 HELPFUL ITEMS FROM THE OFFICE AND KITCHEN | Mark Shelton
Drums, Tambourines, Shakers, Sticks, Mallets
Most of a percussionist’ s instruments and implements are acquired in conventional music stores or ordered online. However, some items to assist your musical activities might be located in your home office or kitchen.
1. PENCIL Make sure a certain small stick is among the necessary mallets, drumsticks, and brushes at a rehearsal. It’ s the humble, yet powerful pencil. Affordable( about 24 cents) and lightweight( app. 4 grams), the pencil is your pal at rehearsals, practice sessions, and recording dates. I recommend the classic No. 2 pencil, renowned for consistent marking, yet easy to erase. Bring an extra one for the guitar player. the skip point and add another strip at the beginning of the new entrance.
Quick page turn? A sticky strip at the upper right corner will provide something to grasp onto as you make a fast flip of a page.
5. RUBBER BANDS Finding the proper sound to fit the musical moment is part of the art of percussion. Combining a couple of small instruments might be the right formula, but holding two shakers( or caxixis) while you play a bongos rhythm with your other hand might be rather precarious. Just bind the shakers together with rubber bands and shake with confidence.
6. CLEAR-PLASTIC GALLON-SIZE SLIDER BAG Don’ t waste time digging through your case searching for some small item hiding among the sticks, mallets, and brushes. Grab a gallonsize plastic slider bag from the kitchen drawer and load it with your pencil, sharpener, sticky strips, triangle beaters, and rubber bands. The clear plastic makes it easy to find your stuff.
2. PENCIL SHARPENER If you use the aforementioned pencil, the lead will eventually break or need sharpening. Keep an inexpensive old-school pencil sharpener with your gear. 3. BLANK PAPER“ Song # 3 needs to be shortened. Here comes the roadmap: Intro / Verse / Chorus / 4-bar Interlude / Two Bridges / Down Chorus / Tag Everybody got that?”
It’ s time to reach into your case for a sheet of blank paper and jot down the new arrangement before the service starts.
4. STICKY NOTES AND STRIPS Is there a slightly different set of songs in the second service? Scribble the order on a sticky note and slap it in a convenient spot.
Are you supposed to skip nine bars in a song, but you keep losing your place in the sheet music? Stick a brightly colored sticky strip at
94 February 2026 Subscribe for Free...