PERCUSSION
8 HELPFUL HACKS FROM PERCUSSION TIP TUESDAY | Mark Shelton
Over the past few years, I have posted short chunks of percussion-related advice regularly on my social media platforms. In this article, I’ m sharing a variety of tips from my weekly Percussion Tip Tuesday series.
CONSISTENT CROSS-STICK You know the sweet spot on a drum stick for playing a cross-stick rimshot? Yeah, it sounds( and feels) good when that specific area of the stick makes contact with the rim. Have you ever had to fish around for the optimal point during a performance? Use a felt tip marker to draw a ring around the stick at the sweet spot and you will be able to hit a great cross-stick rimshot consistently.
SEE THE SEAM The ends of the felt strip on a cartwheel-style timpani mallet are bound together with a seam. Striking the head with the seam can affect tone quality and cause wearing of the seam. Avoid those problems by marking the seam with a felt-tip marker. A dark dot or line will allow you to see the seam while playing. If you see the marking, you are assured the seam is not contacting the drum head.
ROLL ENDURANCE You’ ll never need to play a super-long drum roll— until you do. Maybe it’ s an awards ceremony that needs a tension-building roll on a floor tom, or perhaps you’ re laying down the snare drum roll for the“ Star-Spangled Banner.” Don’ t wait to develop roll endurance until it’ s too late. Play a one-minute double-stroke roll and a 60-second single-stroke roll once a week, so you’ ll have plenty in your tank when it’ s time.
PILLOW PRACTICE Deepen your double stroke control by practicing diddle exercises on a surface that will provide little to no rebound. This will assist in improving your ability to control the second note of the double stroke without relying on the rebound. Check out this short demo: 96 March 2026 Subscribe for Free...