UNR Snare Book

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Guidelines, Techniques, Exercises, and Tips for the

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by

Trent Shuey

University of Nevada Wolf Pack Drumline Handbook – p . 1 SNARE

The policies outlined in this Handbook are intended as a supplement to those already in place in the University of Nevada Marching Band. Every Drumline member will be expected to know and follow all policies in both.

Table of Contents

General Info

Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Expectations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Rehearsal

Materials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Marching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Technique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 On the Field . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Miscellaneous

After Rehearsal . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Contact Information. . . . . . . . . 7

Exercises

Exercise TOC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8


WELCOME

Welcome to the University of Nevada Wolf Pack Drumline! The Wolf Pack Marching Band has a strong tradition of excellence and is very much in the public eye. This success does not come easily. To uphold this tradition and continue to reach new levels of performance, we set the highest of expectations. You will be pushed to your limits both physically and mentally. You will work harder than you thought possible. In doing so you will develop more than your musical skills: you will also learn discipline, responsibility, teamwork, maturity, and leadership skills.

EXPECTATIONS

All Drumline members are expected to follow the policies already set in the Marching Band Handbook in addition to the following:

•Your attitude will determine the success of this season. You can choose to be negative and bring everyone down, or be positive and feel great about your accomplishments. Keep a positive attitude even when the going gets tough, and it will pay off in the long run. • Treat all members and staff with respect. We are all working towards a common goal and must work as a team to achieve it. None of us as individuals can accomplish what we will together. Disrespect doesn’t help anyone. • Memorize your music!! Memorize every detail; measure numbers/rehearsal letters, tempo, dynamics, stickings, etcetera. • Show that you care about success. You are making a commitment to be a part of the University of Nevada Wolf Pack Marching Band, so if you are going to do it, then it makes sense to do it well. • Attendance is absolutely necessary for an activity such as marching band. If one person is missing the rest of the ensemble will suffer. Please make every effort you can to be at every rehearsal. Stay healthy! A safe guideline: PLAN TO BE 15 MINUTES EARLY. This allows for unexpected delays. If you have trouble getting a ride, call me, your section head, or any of the student leadership. No matter what the reason, if you know you will be absent from rehearsal, TELL ME OR YOUR SECTION HEAD. Absences are EXTREMELY destructive to the band activity, so stay healthy! • Don’t make excuses. If you make a mistake, fix it and move on. Don’t blame it on someone else, on the weather, or on your dog. Show results, not excuses. Marching Band is a TEAM activity. We must learn to work together to enjoy success together. When one person does not follow the rules, it affects the entire team. We will work as a team and succeed as a team!


LEADERSHIP It is important that each of us clearly understand each other’s roles in the organization, the chain of command, so to speak. This does NOT diminish the personal responsibilities of every member. Percussion Instructor (me) and Section Leader (Jose) – Responsible for the entire Drumline – running ensemble rehearsals, maintaining discipline, cleaning technique, music, drill, maintaining equipment, coordinating Drumline events with the Director, and being liaison with all band leadership. Battery Section Head (Snare, Tenor, Bass) – Responsible for running sectional rehearsals, maintaining discipline, cleaning technique, music, drill, and maintaining equipment. Individual expectations – Practice, Practice, and then Practice some more – Invest yourself and reap the satisfaction.

REQUIRED MATERIALS Please bring the following items to ALL rehearsals and sectionals. Music / Drill Folder – Keep all your exercises, music, and drill with you at ALL rehearsals and sectionals. Sticks / Mallets – Stick and mallets will be provided in your band fees. All players should have at least 2 pairs of sticks/mallets at all times. You will have one set for practice and one set for performance. When your practice sticks break, you will replace them with your performance sticks (unless it happens the other way around). Regardless, the newer sticks will always be used for performances. Pencils – Everyone must have pencils in rehearsal to mark changes to the music or drill. Keep the pencil in your folder. Bass drums should also bring highlighters to mark individual notes. Summer – During Band Camp be sure to wear comfortable clothing (t‐shirt and shorts), sneakers (no sandals), and sunscreen. Hats and sunglasses are optional. Also bring plenty of water (not soft drinks) to stay hydrated!

RECOMMENDED MATERIALS The following items are not required, but will help a great deal! Practice Pad – All members should have a practice pad to use during rehearsals, at home, at the laundry‐mat... Any kind of pad will do!


Metronome – All members should have a metronome to practice with at home and in sectionals. Any kind will do as long as is has an adjustable tempo. They can be found at any music store with a wide range of features. Earplugs – To state the obvious, drums are really loud, and you only have one pair of ears. We have plenty of earplugs to provide. Earplugs will still allow you to blend with the Drumline.

MARCHING Be able to mark time to ALL exercises! Maintain Style – We will spend a lot of time on marching fundamentals in Band Camp. Once you have learned it, don’t be lazy with it. Key Points: • Keep your head up, shoulders back, stand tall and proud. • Keep your eyes on the drum major. • Keep your upper body position frozen so your drums remain steady. • Keep your knees slightly bent and stay on your TOES for crabbing and backwards marching. • For forward marching ROLL YOUR FEET and keep your toes up. Maintain Intervals – Spacing is one of the problems that are easiest to spot from the audience and hardest to see from the field. Know your designated intervals and constantly check them, adjusting to those people you can see with your peripheral vision. Form vs. Dot – In the beginning stages of learning a drill set, your dot is the most important goal. If everyone is on their dot, the form will work. Endpoints must know their EXACT dots and everyone else must adjust to the form. As the season progresses and performances near, it is more important to fit the form than to land exactly on your dot. If the entire form is off, but otherwise looking well, you will be wrong if you insist on making your dot.

TECHNIQUE

The snare line will play using the traditional grip. We will also be tilting the snare drums slightly for ergonomic benefit. Just a slight tilt, nothing extreme. Line up your thumb straight down your forearm to your elbow and place the thumb on top of the index finger creating a lower case “t.” Rest the stick on the cuticle of your ring finger and have the pinky hug the lower 3/4ths of your ring finger as these two fingers work in unison with each other. The middle finger curves around the top of the stick and is never sticking out straight as that’s rude to the audience ;) and causes unnecessary tension. If your thumb is getting sore while you are playing you are probably squeezing too hard, simply let the thumb rest on the index finger without causing “white knuckles” All fingers are naturally curved (except the thumb depending on your anatomy), and relaxed. Traditional motion is much like turning a doorknob as it is a perfect rotation from the center of the palm of your hand through your forearm all the way to your elbow. Notice the thumb stays in alignment with the forearm through the entire motion; if you bend your wrist out of alignment it slows down your rotation and it causes unnecessary tension on your wrist and the back part of your forearm. I recommend getting a small round doorknob to practice this motion and to build up your

University of Nevada Wolf Pack

endurance (make sure there is resistance to it and it doesn’t just spin foreverback).

The drumming regimen you will find on these pages has been carefully designed to target specific muscle groups or skill sets that are very important to our technique program and musical development. Much thought has bthe tempos, dynamic markings, and so on. Many of the exercises are very simple on paper but properly performing them with the required techniques at the required tempi may be deceptively difficult. Please take the time to analyze each exercise and understand what it intends to teach you about your technique. to the details of each exercise, no matter how seemingly insignificant. Recordings at various tempos are available on WebCT, please take the time to play along with them, especially the slower tempos. Pay attention to detail and always mark time. The faster tempos are fairly ambitious;fighter pilot. Legend

Stickings Stickings are notated in a caseheight passages, one height if the exercise is monodynamic, or simply serve as a reminder. Lower case r’s and l’s generally indicate taps or low notes. or both hands together. Dynamics Generally our system of dynamics translates into the following heights. Be wary of focusing too much on height definitions when trying to execute a musical phrase. Use your musician’s ear and your drummer’s intuition for these moments.

pp = 1.5 inches

mf = 9 inches

Wolf Pack Drumline Handbook – p . 5

is resistance to it and it doesn’t just spin forever

DEFINITIONS

The drumming regimen you will find on these pages has been carefully designed to target specific muscle groups or skill sets that are very important to our technique program and musical development. Much thought has been given to the details of the exercises in terms of the tempos, dynamic markings, and so on. Many of the exercises are very simple on paper but properly performing them with the required techniques at the required tempi may be

se take the time to analyze each exercise and understand what it intends to teach you about your technique. In conjunction with this, please pay close attention to the details of each exercise, no matter how seemingly insignificant.

pos are available on WebCT, please take the time to play along with them, especially the slower tempos. Pay attention to detail and always mark time. The

ambitious; they are intended to push even the veteran flam drag

Stickings are notated in a case-sensitive fashion. Upper case R’s and L’s indicate accents in 2height passages, one height if the exercise is monodynamic, or simply serve as a reminder. Lower case r’s and l’s generally indicate taps or low notes. Upper case B’s indicate a “flat flam”

Generally our system of dynamics translates into the following heights. Be wary of focusing too much on height definitions when trying to execute a musical phrase. Use your musician’s ear

your drummer’s intuition for these moments.

p = 3 inches (tap height)

mp = 6 inches

f = 12 inches ff = approx. vertical

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is resistance to it and it doesn’t just spin forever without fighting

The drumming regimen you will find on these pages has been carefully designed to target specific muscle groups or skill sets that are very important to our technique program and

een given to the details of the exercises in terms of the tempos, dynamic markings, and so on. Many of the exercises are very simple on paper but properly performing them with the required techniques at the required tempi may be

se take the time to analyze each exercise and understand what it In conjunction with this, please pay close attention

pos are available on WebCT, please take the time to play along with them, especially the slower tempos. Pay attention to detail and always mark time. The

they are intended to push even the veteran flam drag

sensitive fashion. Upper case R’s and L’s indicate accents in 2-height passages, one height if the exercise is monodynamic, or simply serve as a reminder.

se B’s indicate a “flat flam”

Generally our system of dynamics translates into the following heights. Be wary of focusing too much on height definitions when trying to execute a musical phrase. Use your musician’s ear

= 6 inches

= approx. vertical


ON THE FIELD Everyone in front of the Battery must listen BACK to the Battery. NEVER listen to any sound coming in front of you. You must resist the urge to play with what you hear in front of you, because if you do this, your sound will be very late when it gets to the audience. Constant attention should be given to the drum major(s). You and she/he have a very important connection that should never be broken. In order to play clean as a line you need to listen closely to the member next to you inward to the center snare.

AFTER REHEARSAL

• Put away all sticks and mallets carefully. • Put away all instruments carefully. • Put away all stands and hardware carefully. • Do not leave any music out anywhere – put it in your folder. • Make sure your rehearsal area looks the way it did when you found it. • KEEP THE BAND ROOM CLEAN! Practice, Practice, PRACTICE! – Take time outside of rehearsal to work on your technique, exercises, and music. Remind yourself of mistakes you made and work on them. Later in the season, even when you have the music memorized, pull it out and work on it. The worst thing you can do between rehearsals is not touch your sticks at all. NO ONE LEAVES UNTIL IT’S FINISHED. We are a team. In a team everyone pulls their own weight. That means when we are finished with rehearsal, put up your things and help others, help others, until it is done. Exceptions will be made for transportation issues, appointments, etc. If you plan to leave early, please make sure you let someone know and TAKE CARE OF YOUR GEAR!

MAINTENANCE • Take care of your instruments. Treat them well and they will treat you well. Most instrument problems can be fixed by simply being careful. If you have a problem, let me, the Director, or a Student Leader know. • At the beginning of every rehearsal check your instruments. Be sure all lugs, nuts, and carrier attachments are secure. If anything is loose, fix it if possible. If you can’t fix it, ask a Director or Student Leader to help. When these things get ignored, parts get broken or lost and they are difficult to replace.


• Please do NOT change the tuning of your instrument unless a head has broken. There is no problem with breaking a head, but there is a problem if you don’t take care of it. • Clean your instrument before every show and dry them after being in the rain. Part of sounding good is looking good. If we look like we care, we will sound better.

CONTACT INFORMATION

If you have ANY questions at ANY time, ask me, the Section Head or the Director. I am available for individual help if it is needed. Trent Shuey (541) 314‐2121 [email protected] http://www.facebook.com/trent.shuey http://www.myspace.com/trentshuey http://www.youtube.com/user/tnifty


8’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

The Broken Sprinkler

AT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Hurtas

Smell Something?

4 – 2 –

Trinity

Lookalike

PD’s

Jaws

FAB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Link Up


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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

The Broken Sprinkler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

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Hurtas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Smell Something? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

– 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Trinity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Lookalike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

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FAB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Link Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

SNARE

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

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. . . 15

FAB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17


8’s is based on the structure of the paradiddle with a twist at the end.

The Broken Sprinkler - After this exercise has my hands. You will repeat the measure that you happen to be in or just starting the said number of times before continuing the exercise. Hence, the broken sprinkler (a stuck record player is another good analogy).


ased on the structure of the paradiddle with a twist at the end.

After this exercise has commenced, I will hold up a number (1my hands. You will repeat the measure that you happen to be in or just starting the said number of times before continuing the exercise. Hence, the broken sprinkler (a stuck record player is

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commenced, I will hold up a number (1-10) with my hands. You will repeat the measure that you happen to be in or just starting the said number of times before continuing the exercise. Hence, the broken sprinkler (a stuck record player is


Wolf Pack Drumline Handbook – p . 10 SNARE

University of Nevada Wolf PackWolf Pack Drumline Handbook – p . 11 SNARE


7





The up arrows indicate the exaggeration of the upbeat. Float the stick up to prepare for the next downbeat.


The up arrows indicate the exaggeration of the upbeat. Float the stick up to prepare for the next

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The up arrows indicate the exaggeration of the upbeat. Float the stick up to prepare for the next


Stay relaxed or jaws will eat you alive!


Stay relaxed or jaws will eat you alive!

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FAB (flam accent breakdown) is showing how each hand interacts by itself while executing flam accents.


FAB (flam accent breakdown) is showing how each hand interacts by itself while executing flam

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FAB (flam accent breakdown) is showing how each hand interacts by itself while executing flam


Link Up is a sixteenth note timing exercise with a little extra groove. It is based on a simple grid, do you see it?


Link Up is a sixteenth note timing exercise with a little extra groove. It is based on a simple grid,

SNARE

Link Up is a sixteenth note timing exercise with a little extra groove. It is based on a simple grid,

Documents

UNR Snare Book