II. Light Steel, Heavy Metal
Here is the full performance of the second movement of Five Petite Movements, by Chris Roode.
To hear your individual part please scroll down!
The Full Performance
Individual Parts
Play ALong: Metal Pipe
Play Along: Triangle
Play Along: Vibraphone
Play Along: Brake 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: This movement has more specific instrumentation than the first, but we still have some choices to make with regard to sound. We began by looking at the pitched material in the vibraphone and asking how we could complement it with the “unpitched“ instruments in the rest of the ensemble. After realizing the vibraphone is in F Lydian, we decided to find a metal pipe that was a B natural to be complimentary to the raised 4th scale degree present in the vibraphone. This relationship reinforces the Lydian scale set up by the composer, where a pitch outside the set would not pair as well with the vibes. For us, the triangle sound was about getting a shimmery and complex resonant sound that had an unfocused pitch, we don’t want that sound to clutter the vibraphone or metal pipe sound. And finally for the brake drum we chose a very direct and bright sound, using a brass mallet on the metal. This choice requires the performer to have a developed control of touch as to not overpower other members of the ensemble.
Other considerations to take when playing this movement come from the difficulties young students might experience in playing some of the rhythmic patterns in a 3/4 time signature. Our recommendation for practice and rehearsal would be to have your students play both the composite rhythm (all parts realized) and their individual parts on a single surface. We often teach these skills sitting on the ground in a circle and it provides an essential chamber music skill - knowing the parts of those around you rather than just your own. We really just want to get the performers to open their ears more as they are in the ensemble setting.
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!