I. Four Fun For Drum
Here is the full performance of the first movement of Five Petite Movements, by Chris Roode.
To hear your individual part please scroll down!
The Full Performance
The Individual Parts
Play Along: Highest Drum
Play Along: High Drum
Play Along: Middle Drum
Play Along: Low Drum
About the piece
From the publisher: Written for beginning percussion ensemble with approximately one month of experience, Five Petite Movements by Chris Roode is a great way to showcase new percussionists in performance. You have the option of choosing only a selection of movements (1–2 minutes each) or the entire suite (8 minutes). Additionally, different performers may be assigned to the movements to create a mini percussion ensemble concert.
Scored for four or more players, parts may be doubled, tripled, or otherwise multiplied to accommodate the group’s size. Available for purchase here.
From the Percussion Pal team: With each of the movements of this piece, we started by asking what kind of sounds do we want, especially in the movements that are open instrumentation and allow for flexibility. In this movement, we chose to go with the widest possible spread of drum ranges, from the highest drum being a single bongo to the lowest drum being a drumset bass drum. This movement could also be done with a completely different set of drums and provide a great performance and listening opportunity for the performers.
Another consideration to take when preparing this piece is how to approach playing each instrument in the ensemble. If I were playing the “Highest Drum“ part, I would want to get a characteristic bongo sound, meaning I would play with either my hand or a rubber or latex mallet, close to the edge of the drum with a fast stroke speed. This combination of choices leads me to the best possible sound from that instrument - basically we are asking if the bongo sound like the best version of a bongo. To provide a contrasting example: playing the “Low Drum“ part and getting a full characteristic sound would mean I would to play with a mallet with a little more mass and a slower stroke speed to keep the sound warm and resonant. These kinds of choices allow you to achieve a full range of frequency response across the ensemble, allowing for more clarity in performance.
If you have any questions or comments about this, please don’t hesitate to contact us so we can talk more about this awesome piece!