PERCUSSION
NINE SUGGESTIONS FOR GROWTH IN 2022 | Mark Shelton
Resolutions ? Goals ? Do your plans for the new year include anything that will further your growth as a worship percussionist ? Here are several ideas to consider as you organize your course of action for 2022 .
RESEARCH PERCUSSION HISTORY Have you ever read Exodus 15:20 and wondered about the type of drum that Miriam played as she and the other women danced ? Are you interested in the origins of the marimba ? Would you like to know how the modern drum set was developed ?
With a computer and internet access , gathering information has never been easier . Use your search engine skills to research a few of the many facets of percussion history .
CREATE The ability to compose music is an amazing gift from God . Are you exercising your creative musical skills ? Do you approach creativity with intention ?
Make up a rhythm pattern for bongos . Improvise a free-form djembe solo . Compose a variation on a melody . Allow your creative juices to flow during a portion of your practice sessions . If you come up with a gem , make sure to write it down or record it before it escapes .
REVIEW THE RUDIMENTS Basic rudiments such as the flam and drag , along with the single stroke , double stroke , and buzz rolls , are essential elements in Western culture stick-drumming . Rudiments can also be shaped into rhythmic licks and applied to a variety of percussion instruments including congas , timbales , and drum set .
A regular dose of rudiments will help maintain your percussion health . I recommend a weekly review of all forty of the Percussive Arts Society International Drum Rudiments .
Download a free list of the rudiments at www . pas . org .
CHECK INTO HYBRID RUDIMENTS Go beyond the standard rudiments and explore the expanding universe of hybrid rudiments . Blast out a Herta on the djembe . Give your chops a challenge by learning the Stutter Diddle or Cheese Pataflafla . You can easily search the web to find notation for a variety of hybrid rudiments along with many video tutorials .
LEARN A NEW INSTRUMENT OR TECHNIQUE Could this be the year you start learning to play the doumbec you bought back in 2014 ? Will you start to regularly practice the push-pull technique in 2022 ? Consider expanding your musical skill set by studying a new instrument or learning a different method of playing .
RECORD YOURSELF With a smartphone and a basic recording app , it has never been easier to record your playing during a practice session or rehearsal . A recording can provide great feedback that will assist in honing your musicianship . Keep in mind : the recording captures reality , not your intention .
DIVE INTO A CLASSIC METHOD BOOK A number of percussion method books have stood the test of time while influencing thousands of musicians . Open a classic text and learn a groove , study a technique , or practice a permutation .
My top classic method book suggestion is Stick Control by George Lawrence Stone . Stick
Control was voted # 1 in the Modern Drummer list of 25 Greatest Drum Books . Although the exercises are written with standard notation , percussionists with limited music-reading skills can benefit from practicing the basic right / left permutations found on the first several pages . Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned professional , you will find ways to challenge and improve your percussion skills with this timehonored method book .
LISTEN OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE Do you find yourself listening to the same few genres of music ? Are you stuck in a style rut ? Venture out into unfamiliar sonic territory and treat your ears to different musical textures and structures . You might hear an exotic percussion instrument , discover a new method of playing , or find that you really dig Klezmer music .
READ 27 BOOKS 260 chapters in the New Testament 260 weekdays in 2022
A bit of super-simple arithmetic reveals that you can read the entire New Testament if you just take in five chapters per week .
Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching , for reproof , for correction , and for instruction in righteousness , that the man of God may be complete , thoroughly equipped for every good work . 2 Timothy 3:16-17 WEB
© 2022 Mark Shelton Productions / Percussion For Worship
Mark Shelton Mark Shelton is a freelance musician , content creator , and music education consultant based in Dallas / Fort Worth . Performance credits include North Carolina Symphony , Tin Roof Tango , Daystar Singers & Band , Gateway Worship , Wichita Falls Orchestra , Strata Big Band , TALEA , and Dallas Wind Symphony . www . marksheltonmusic . com percussionforworship . blogspot . com