Anyone know anything about learning tuned percussion?

[Blewitt]

Hi,
Does anyone know anything about children learning tuned percussion? My DS 9 is quite musical, getting on well with trumpet and is a great drummer. I thought that tuned percussion would give him a chance to use his biggest strength, the drumming, in an orchestral environment. He's good at trumpet, just not overly keen on it.
Does anyone's DC do it, is it fun or is it boring sitting in an orchestra waiting for your moment?!
Thanks.

I teach class tuned percussion.. Is there a percussion peri in his school? Or if not try your local music service? Some have percussion ensembles x

Oo and no it's not boring, lol like most orchestral instruments its a question of waiting for your moment of glory ;)

DS1 is a keen tuned percussionist! He started on drumkit at 9 and added tuned percussion age 11. The great thing about it is the variety of instruments and the camaraderie among the percussionists. The one thing to bear in mind is that if you make a mistake there is nowhere to hide! But he loves it and plays xylophone as his main instrument and alternates timpani and snare drum for the grades.

Thanks both. Where does he learn loose? I can't find anything with local music service so far. Will ask at school when they are back next week.

DS learns at the local music centre (we're in a London borough) and it's worth phoning to find out if someone teaches at yours. I had no idea ours did tuned percussion - I thought I'd booked drum kit lessons! If they don't offer lessons they may know a nearby centre that does. Another way is to contact your nearest large music shop ie one selling at least some percussion and ask them if they know any local teachers.

Thank you.

I played timpani in the borough symphony orchestra and concert band when I was at school. It was fab! Much better than sitting sawing away in the middle of the violin section. There wasn't much sitting around - there tends to be percussion all the way through, even if you only notice it in the big bang crash moments. If anything you end up rushing around, because there's never enough people to have one person standing around with a cymbal, so you end up having to crash those as well. We were just a bog standard youth orchestra but we played in the Albert hall, on the south bank, and toured Italy and Germany.

I had lessons via a Saturday music school I attended from age 11, but my first instrument was violin, so I got into music school that way. I suspect lots of the programs I benefitted from have been cut back now also.

They're usually short of young percussionists though. I ended up going back and playing during university holidays. I'm sure if you phone round you'll get somewhere.

My DS had 1to1 lessons at school from a visiting teacher. Organised by the education dept.

my dd has been playing tuned percussion with the same teacher 30 min a week lessons from the age of 8

She played in various percussion groups and helped in orchestras and now doing Music for her A levels.

She loves variety and now on her grade 8

I have marimba at home - no room for timpani

She does her practice at school and was recording her piece at school for her AS piece, she played her grade 7 pieces.

Yes there's no danger of having timpani here either! in the end we bought a decent xylophone because DS is so keen but you can start off with a basic percussion kit with a glockenspiel, stand and snare drum pad for about £90 I think. We hired one for grade 1 and spread the cost over the year. After that it became clear that he needed a decent xylophone or marimba to have sufficient octaves and the sound is so much nicer. He uses the snare on his drum kit as well. Otherwise, the great thing is that you turn up for exams, concerts, lessons and practice with your sticks and music and all the kit is already there.

Well, this sounds quite exciting! Fingers crossed school will be able to help out and that he is interested, I don't want to ask him until I know he can have a go! thanks for all your help.

Another one with a ds doing tuned percussion. The school have a teacher who comes in.

He loves it but just be aware that he does find that as there is a shortage of percussionists he is sometimes drafted in to school groups he doesn't really want to play with (as in he just gets sent the rehearsal timetable with his name included) and will then turn up at the first rehearsal not know what instrument they actually expect him to play.

Think he is getting more savy and next year will excuse himself from the ones he finds dull - he says the older orchestral pieces have him sitting about for ages not playing but he has done modern pieces where there is endless running between instruments.

blewitt
DS (13) started drums at 6 and tuned percussion at 11. By then he was Gr6 on drums and piano and was able to jump into Gr6 right away. He gets 1 to 1 lessons at school and lots of performing opportunities. Timpani is great, he sits up there and becomes Master and Commander! He has a drumkit at home, but tuned practice is at school because we can't afford / fit a marimba or full xylophone here. When we were visiting secondary schools I always asked the music department if they had a marimba. Many state or grammar schools didn't, too costly I'm afraid.
So my only qualm re tuned percussion is that he can never put in as much practice as if he had the instruments on weekends and holidays. I remember watching the young BBC musician percussion finals with DS and seeing those rooms packed with huge expensive instruments the participants had in their houses and thinking, "well, that's never going to happen"

Loosetatheseams
how much was your xylophone? Is it 3.5 octaves?

Hi drummersmum (great name!) yes it is 3.5 octaves and an Adams rosewood with stand. I'll pm you the link if you like - it was very expensive but DS's school has no percussion apart from an electric drum kit and he practises a lot at home. His playing has improved dramatically. We can't fit much else in his room though!

Thanks loose yes please pm me the link!

Have pm'd you, drummersmum!