Cooking with XylophonesEasy to Intermediate pieces for Marimbas or

Orff Instruments

Paul Bakeman

Layout and Editing, Brent M. HollAssociate Editors, Karen Holl and Michael R. Nichols

Printed and Distributed by Beatin’ Path Publications, LLC

302 East College StreetBridgewater, VA 22812

© 2010 Paul Bakeman. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner.

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ContentsLet it Cook! 4

Conversation 12

Roll with the Punches 14

Minor Distractions 16

Bambamukota (The Grasshopper) 18

Cuppa Joe 20

African Sunrise 22

Outta Sight 24

Dissonant Resolutions 26

Elbow Grease 28

Life is Good 30

About the Author 32

Acknowledgements 33

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Let It Cook!I use funny and interesting “turns of phrase” with my students, like “Let it cook!” When I say that, students know they are supposed to keep playing until they establish a nice groove or until playing together “feels good” (I want them to be able to recognize the groove when it happens). The groove occurs when students become so comfortable with their own part, they begin to actually LISTEN to how all the parts fit together to make a cohesive whole. I explain to them that each of their own parts is like one ingredient necessary to make a cake. The basses are the flour, the altos the eggs, the sopranos the sugar, the drums the chocolate, and the shekere and cowbell the icing. When we come together to make music, enough energy and heat is generated to “cook” those ingredients, creating a delicious chocolate cake, heard as the final product: a good grooving performance.

When students apply just enough heat, the “simmer” becomes a “boil” That’s when the groove really takes hold, and I see students relaxing, smiling, and most importantly, LISTENING! Strive for the boiling point with your students when they look and listen outside of themselves and fully realize the magic happening around them as they play. As in any challenging endeavor, this realization takes time, but the results are well worth the effort. The simmering

time may take longer on certain pieces, and that’s fine. The simmering takes place at school while the students are learning a new piece and even later at home when they are thinking about the day. The simmering process is just as important as the cooking and final boiling. Sometimes when I teach a new piece, the students don’t seem to be getting it very well. I have to remind myself the heat has just been applied and the simmering process has just begun. I am always surprised when the students return the next week and immediately play better. It’s as if they had been working on the piece at home on their own xylophone. They get it better because they have had time to mentally process the sound and the motor action required to be successful. Now, the real cooking work can begin. Always try to give your students enough time to let the music simmer within them. Then, they will really be ready to cook!

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A Note About The Performance RecipesFor each song, you will find an accompanying Performance Recipe giving brief suggestions on how you might want to structure the form of the pieces for performance. These recipes have worked well for me over the years, but I encourage you to make them your own and experiment with other creative ways to teach and perform the pieces.

You will need to figure out how to start each piece. Start a piece by layering in

the parts at regular intervals (usually by phrases), or have everyone start playing together. The suggested recipes also give ideas how to add variety to the body of the pieces, usually by showcasing particular sections of the ensemble or by going to a contrasting B section.

Again, experiment and create variations of your own. You may even ask the students how they might want to structure a particular piece. Giving them that little bit of ownership really helps motivate them and make them feel like they have some control over the process and performance.

Endings can also be varied. I typically end with the whole ensemble together on a final point, but sometimes, just for variety, you may want to layer parts out to create an effective and interesting ending, just the reverse of the suggestion for starting mentioned above. A great ending takes the form of a huge rumble (roll or tremolo) on the tonic pitch of the piece. This is always a crowd pleaser, a good way to end the entire performance.

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Drum Technique Technique for the drums is the same, no matter which kind of drums you have. Start by asking your students to sit on the edge of their chairs (drummers should sit to play). The drums are tilted away from the player for the proper positioning and sound production. The tilt allows the sound of the bass tone to escape from the drum. Most natural wood djembes have a rope tensioning system players can also use to grip the drum between their knees, preventing the drums from slipping down to the floor as you are playing. Tubanos® should not be tilted as they have cutouts on the bottom to let the sound of the bass tone escape. To produce a low, rich resonant bass tone, place the palm and fingers of either hand in the center of the drum and bounce off the head. The hand and wrist should be relaxed, and the whole forearm should bend at the elbow, not just at the wrist.

A student demonstrates the hand position for the bass tone.

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Performance Recipe Start with 8 beats of shekere and bell.•Add all instruments and let it cook!•After the groove reaches a full simmer, feature soprano xylophones •and alto xylophones only, one time through the form (8 bars).Bring all instruments back in one time through (8 bars).•Feature Shekere, bell, and congas only, one time through (8 bars).•Bring all instruments back in to cook some more until it’s done •(teacher stops the ensemble all together on the last beat of the piece, as written).

About the Music “Conversation” is an easy piece for beginning ensembles. Teach the bass part first using mirrored patchen. The students pat the pattern on their laps (patchen) with the teacher modeling a mirrored pattern (hands reversed). When mirrored patchen is used, the students can watch the teacher demonstrate the pattern, and it will appear correct from their perspective. Be sure to model the I-V harmony in the bass line by moving your right hand to the side of the knee for the V chord.

Teach the soprano and alto xylophone parts together. You will want the students to hear how the two parts work together to create the effect of a musical conversation. Since the melody that gets passed between the soprano and alto xylophones is pentatonic, you can safely remove the E and B bars with a beginning ensemble to make the learning and “simmering” even easier!

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ConversationPaul Bakeman

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Performance Recipe Parts can be layered in at 4 bar intervals, or all instruments can start •together...your choice!Bring the A section to a boil.•When ready, go to the B section. This is where the parts require •“rolling,” or creating the effect of a tremolo. Be sure to teach •the students to count the whole notes internally, so that the last measure of the B section is together!Continue to alternate between the A sections (repeating until you •feel the need for variation), and B section.End on beat 3 of the last measure of the A section.•

About the Music “Roll With the Punches” is an intermediate piece that will generate a high level of energy and excitement in your ensemble. The bass part is the most difficult due to its highly syncopated rhythm. Have the students chant the phrase, “roll with the punches, man!” to help them nail down the rhythm.

The B section presents several challenges. Since the drums and shekere stop keeping time here, it becomes essential that the other members of the ensemble internalize the pulse so they will know when to play each whole note. Don’t hesitate to use a cowbell in rehearsals during the “simmering” period to help solidify the pulse. The other challenge is that the rumbling drums and shekere can easily play louder than the barred instruments, so be sure to have those students keep the volume “in check” during the B section.

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Roll With the PunchesPaul Bakeman

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