To sit or not to sit? That is the question.

Today, I´ll write about something that may make no sense out of Spain, but I´ve been asked about it quite a few times: In the orchestra, should I stand up or sit down when playing?

In Spain, the usual procedure is to stand up for playing cymbals, bass drum, triangle, tambourine, xylo... In my particular case, I have never asked myself why, but as it was what I always have seen, I simply stood up for playing.

It was not until I moved to London that I started questioning this method. The first work I played with the orchestra at the Royal Academy of Music was Strauss´ "A Hero´s Life", and I was in charge of tam-tam, cymbals and triangle. When I stood up to play my first entrance, the whole section looked at me and made funny faces. As soon as I finished, the principal asked me: "Why are you standing up?" Very secure of myself, I told him all that stuff about the visual thing, the theatrical component, that a concert is also seen, apart from listened to... He smiled and told me to do whatever I fancied but, in the UK, that was quite extravagant.

Few days after I attended my first concerts, and I realized that the whole section was sitting down.

I asked my teacher, and his explanations convinced me.

There´s no other member of the orchestra (except for the conductor) standing up for playing. When a player stands up, is calling attention to himself, announcing in a very visual way to the audience that he is about to do something: "Hey, look at me, I´m standing up so you can see I´m about to hit something!"

Standing up, you are calling an unnecessary attention to yourself and to the entrance you are about to play, which shouldn´t have it: No other player makes such a pompous announcement. The important thing is Music, not your next entrance, so boldy announced when you stand up. When you do so, you also take the risk of making extraneous noises (cracking floors, noisy chairs...).

You can keep the visual aspect keeping your instrument high, showing it to the audience (the old saying "if you can´t see it, you can´t hear it" is still valid), but not taking the theatrical aspect so far that it gets over-important.

Since my London days, I play sitting down. There are very few occasions when I stand up. This way, I do not call attention to my next entrance, and give the importance to the Music, not to me, the chap who is standing up, distracting the audience, calling for attention, focussing the interest, and making the members of the audience say "look, look... He´s standing up, something´s about to happen!"

As you can see on the first video, I play cymbals (both clashed and suspended) sitting down on a high stool, right at hip height: This way, my height is almost the same standing and sitting, not calling attention to myself.

You already knnow the following video from the post "Tambourine Technique", but it illustrates very well my purpose: I´m playing sitting down, but maintain the visual aspect keeping the tambourine high.

Same thing with bass drum... There´s no need for standing up. I can play everything while sitting down, no extraneous moves...

I can assure you none of the section principals nor conductors I have played with, have ever complained about me sitting down while playing. Try it: Sit down, don´t call attention to yourself, keep things nice and easy, no complicated stuff... As they say, KISS! (keep it simple, stupid!).

Jesus told Lazarus to "stand up and walk!". I tell you to "sit down and play!"

…et in Arcadia ego.

© David Valdés

Mostlymarimba.

I can´t deny it: many of you know how much I admire Leigh Howard Stevens, his work, the way he makes music, his sense of humor... Having said that, I have to admit his presence on the cyberspace was frankly poor, as his website was not updated for a vey long time (years, maybe).

Today, I was very pleasantly surprised when I discovered Malletech has renovated its website, which looks like this:

© Malletech

It has many new sections, and much more developed than before. Thre´s a meticulous description of all instruments manufactured by Malletech, including its new vibraphone. Yes, ladies and gentlemen... What everybody was anxiously waiting for (at least me!) is now a reality: Malletech does make vibraphones!

© Malletech

There´s a section devoted to their mallets, arranged by series or instrument, all their music catalogue and recordings, artists, events and news... Everything related to Malletech, Resonator Records, Kp3..., has a presence on the new site.

The best thing is the new educational section, which includes videos and articles, and carries on with the formative side of my favourite section from the older site: "For Marimba Geeks".

© Malletech

Because this new site has been on line for only a few days, it still has some things that need to get fixed, but I´m sure they will be improved soon.

After so much time neglecting their web presence, it seems that, at last, Malletech has pulled up its socks, and I have received their decision with joy... They even have a YouTube channel and a FaceBook account!

YouTube

Facebook

I´m really looking forward for the new site to be full of new content.

…et in Arcadia ego.

© David Valdés

In memoriam Joe Morello.

On March 12th, Joe Morello has passed away.

This fantastic musician (who even played as a violin soloist with the Boston Symphony) was the drummer for the fabulous "Dave Brubeck Quartet".

His book "Master Studies" and "Master Studies II" are a cornerstone for me and, together with the late Jim Chapin, he is one of my major influences. My snare drum playing owes very much to him.

© Modern Drummer

Sadly, having had some heart trouble, he died yesterday aged 82.

As a homage, I suggest the following video, in which he plays one of the mythical themes by the "Dave Brubeck Quartet": "Take Five". Please observe the wonderful music, the splendid production and the superb sound (apart from the extraordinary musicians, perhaps those Neumann U67 are part of the equation).

Rest in peace.

…et in Arcadia ego.

© David Valdés

New things coming from old ones.

There´s nothing new under the sun and, whatever we think is something new, chances it has been invented and developed by someone else before we did are very possible. Today, I´d like to write about a percusive gadget that has deep roots into the past.

First is first, so let me introduce you the original concept:

Photo courtesy of Maciej Kazinsky

Have a look at the bottom of the bowl of this pair of baroque timpani.You can see a device shaped like a trumpet bell: it´s a "Schalltrichter" ("schall" means sound, and "trichter" means funnel).

This device was common in German timpani for a long period (between 1600 and 1800). Drums with this piece are very rare outside Germany, so we can think this constructive element is very characteristic from this country.

It was mentioned in old treatises: "Musicus autodidactos" (J.P. Eisel - 1738), "Die Pauken und Trommeln" (G. Fechner - 1862), and the older ones can be found in a pair of timpani kept at the Bayerische Nationalmuseum, dated in 1620. 

Its function was to create a saussenden Nachklang (resonant reverberance ) by means of the funnel moving back and forth, enriching a sound that, otherwise, would be quite anodyne (Fechner dixit)*.

As time passed, the "Schalltrichter" fell in disuse.

You can see more photos and read a very interesting article in The Well-Tempered Timpani.

Don´t you thik its desing is very similar to those found on subwoofers and loud speakers?

Three years ago (I don´t know if they even know what a "Schalltrichter" is), a company started selling a gadget coming form that organologic tradition, a device which gives rise to many opinions among drummers: the "Kickport".

© Kickport

As you can see, it´s kind of a funnel which goes on the resonant head of the bass drum:

© Kickport

Acording to the manufacturer, it gives "more lows, more tone, better definition and more punch", apart from slightly dampening the resonant head. Does it work? Opinions vary: there´s people that, after trying it, they hear a huge improvement, and there´s people who hears nothing at all. As always, we can find confronted opinions: some think it´s very useful and its creators have hit the jackpot, while others think it´s a bluff coming from someone with a very cunning commercial vision.

The thing is that it seems to have had some sucess, and their creators have milked the idea: Why just the bass drum when the set includes more drums? As bold as brass, they extended the concept to toms and snare drum:

© Kickport

I haven´t tried it, so I cannot give my opinion. If I ever have the chance to try it, I´ll write about it trying to explain my thoughts on it.

The very interesting thing, and what made me write about this new toy, is the similarity I´ve found between the "Kickport" and "Schalltrichter" present in German timpani. We tend to think we are very modern and cool, but this idea has been working since 1600.

As I said at the beginning, there´s nothing new under the sun... Very new looking ideas are 400 years old. The eternal return hits again, and the "Schallrichter" gets reincarnated in the "Kickport".  

* The information on the two paragraphs before the asterisk comes from an article by Ben Harms titled "The world of historical timpani", written for "Early Music America" for its summer 2008 edition.

…et in Arcadia ego.

© David Valdés

Tambourine technique.

Tambourine is probably one of the "accessory instruments" I like to play the most. Its possibilities are almost endless, and the ammount of techniques and tricks you can use on it are countless.

Few days ago, I played for the Asturias Symphony Orchestra a work with a very interesting tambourine part: "Romeo and Juliet" by Hector Berlioz. Here´s the video of one of the concerts (you´ll have to crank the volume up, as audio hasn´t been compressed):

As always, here you have the music:

As you can see, between rehearsal numbers 18 and 19, I use a peculiar technique which consists in swinging between the middle finger and the thumb. There are several ways you could play this passage, but I used this technique because I can keep the instrument high (keeping the visual factor, which is important to the public), because I can even both rhythmycally and timbrically my strokes, and because it helps me getting the phrasing I want (energy on the first note, coming all the following ones from that first impulse, and then tappering down the motif).

To play this technique, we have to even our fingers lenght in order to get all strokes of the same intensity. For this, make your right hand adopt the shape of an inverted "C":

© David Valdés

Don´t play with your fingers stretched, as your thumb is shorter and you wouldn´t get your strokes even:

© David Valdés

With the correct position, put your fingers on the frame (this way, you´ll be on the jingles, they´ll react inmediately to your stroke and won´t be late. You will also get a clearer sound, as the head won´t sound, just the jingles):

© David Valdés

© David Valdés

Don´t play as in the following picture, as your thumb will be more on the head, thus producing a different sound. It´s not a good posture, as you´ll have to use to movements: a piston stroke with your fingers, and a rotary one with your thumb. The "C" position is better, as it uses just one movement and is more efficient.

© David Valdés

Once you are correctly situated on the instrument, you swing back and forth between middle finger and thumb, trying to even and homogenize the sound produced by the two different strokes. Here´s a video that illustrates it:

This technique can be used on many excerpts: "España" (Chabrier), "Iberia" (Debussy), "Scheherezade" (Rimsky-Korsakov), "Alborada del Gracioso", "Rhapsody Espagnol" (Ravel), "Nutcracker" (Tchaikovsky), "Symphony #3" (Mahler)...

Also, this technique is fantastic for playing one, two and three notes ornaments. With little modifications, we can get dynamics above forte and play things like "Trepak" from ""Nutcracker" (yes, I played it not using my knee). 

If you want a versatile technique, I recommend you trying this one, as its applications are numerous.

…et in Arcadia ego.

© David Valdés

Stevens tecnique works with every instrument.

If aspirin cures everything, Tide cleans everything, and jeans combine with every piece of garment, we have to find  a percusive equivalent thats works with everything, and that´s Stevens technique.

Many of you already know that I use this technique on marimba, vibraphone, glockenspiel ("Pines of Rome", "Great Russian Eastern Overture"...), xylophone ("Appalachian Springs", "Oiseaux Exotiques"...), cymbals (one handed rolls), on set-up´s... Every time I need to hold two sticks in one hand, I use Stevens technique as, to me, it is the most versatile and complete one (apart form being fortunate enough to have studied it with Leigh Howard Stevens himself).

I have never felt the need to use four sticks on drumset. It´s not very common, but not new: Billy Cobham has been doing it for quite a long time (I also got some lessons from him while in London).

      

Mr. Cobham holds the sticks his way, but being myself a true fan of the Stevens technique, I was very pleasently surprised (and I could not help but give a hint of a smile) when I saw the following video. It features two great musicians: Tony Bennett and Clayton Cameron. This video proves this drummer knows what this technique is all about, as you can see him playing single alternate strokes on 2:03. Enjoy the music and, as a curiosity, add a new more utility to the Stevens technique.

Abandon technical dualities!, make room for this technique in your percusive life!

By the way... For those of you who like these kind of things, the mic on the snare drum is an Audio-Technica ATM25, those on hihat and overheads are Audio-Technica AT4050, and those on toms are Audio-Technica ATM350.

…et in Arcadia ego.

© David Valdés

Xylophone - Firebird.

Today we´ll speak about a real technical and musical challenge: the xylophone part for Igor Stravinsky´s "Firebird". More specifically, we´ll discuss the "Danse de la Suite de Kastchei Enchantée par l´Oiseau de Feu".

Here´s the music:

When we play this excerpt, we have to get on to the tempo of the orchestra at 126, and think 16th notes to perfectly fit in when we start playing. It´s a wise thing to listen to the 16th notes played by the strings so, eight bars later, when we start playing, we are already in tempo and 16ths are nailed.

The tempo indication is 152. Obviously, this will depend on the maestro, so we better practise faster and slower speeds so as not to get surprised by different tempi. On this video, I´ve chosen a tempo of 165. It´s a (let´s say it that way) audition tempo, maybe not to musical, but it´s a speed that proves a panel I can play fast and accurate; it´s a tempo that, when competing with other candidates, can tip the scales in your favor (or not... Who knows!).

My phrasing idea until the "storm" of 16ths starts (four bars before 130) is as follows: A little weight on the first note, get all notes from that initial energy, and taper down at the end:

I don´t know if that phrasing can be heard due to the compression applied by the camera, but that was my intention.

Equally important is the dynamic gradation: piano at the beginning, mezzo piano four bars later on , mezzo forte at 129, forte at 130, etc... Again, that was my intention, but I don´t think the compression makes it easy to hear wat I wanted to communicate.

It´s crucial that, during the rest bars, we keep feeling the 16th note pulse and look at the condutor. You may have realized that I raise my head to stablish visual contact with the hypothetical maestro: never ever get caught by a conductor not looking at him. When ever possible (this excerpt, because of its difficulty, it´s not prone to this), I always raise my head from the instrument to look at the conductor.

We have to be very careful with the rhythm played by the strings in 128, as they start the bar with an 8th rest, producing a syncopation. Don´t let that confuse you: our tempo and rhythm have to be rock solid. The same happens at 129, where the motif is taken by the double basses:

Four bars before 130, I change the logical sticking and I start with my left hand so as to play the fourth interval  between D and A with my strong hand (right one).

Until 130, our job has been a "colouring" one but, from that rehearsal number on, we are doubling either the woodwinds or the strings. We always have to be careful with our playing, but specially when doubling, as mistakes are more obvious due to some other instruments playing our same line.

At 131 and 132, where we are playing an upper pedal together with the strings, even we have a "generous" dynamic, I prefer to play a little bit less to let the other motif to be heard.

With respect to the ending (four bars before the allegro feroce), some players do an accelerando to prepare the new tempo, but I think it´s more effective and dramatic to make the change súbito (so it has a more ferocious character), but that doesn´t depend on me, but on the man with the batton. In an audition, I prefer to stick to the paper (and my own taste) and not play it. Different conductors involve different interpretations but, in an audition, I prefer to literally play what is writen so the panel doesn´t have to think, is he doing the accelerando because he knows the music, or because he cannot keep the tempo? When in doubt, I prefer to stick to the paper.

Last thing: you can see I play the last note with my right hand (contrary to the natural sequence). With that, I try to get the note that is supposed to be the strongest one with the recquired energy (I´m right handed).   

I urge you to listen to this fantastic piece of music. Do not miss the tremendous ending.

…et in Arcadia ego.

© David Valdés