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Section 4: Front Ensemble Exercises
Major Scales
Before we get into the exercises, it is imperative that we are familiar with scales. There are 12
major scales, listed below (there minor scales, modes, etc as well).
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Section 4: Front Ensemble Exercises
7/8 Octave
7/8 Octave is our primary legato exercise. It is generally the first exercise that we will play. Use a
full legato stroke to stretch out the muscles in your wrists. We will play this in all keys and with
various dynamics and expressions.
Summertime
Summertime is another legato exercise that we will play, usually after 7/8 Octave. We will only
play this exercise in the key that is written. Make sure your double stop strokes are even and that
the heights are the same.
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Scales #1
Scales # 2
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Arpeggios
This exercise is a study of chord inversions (the same chord tones in every possible order). This
page only illustrates four keys, but you should ideally play through all of the keys (chromatically, as
indicated). You can also experiment with any chord quality (major, minor, diminished, etc).
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Section 4: Front Ensemble Exercises
Octave Jumps
This is an accuracy exercise. Whenever accuracy is the goal, you must play slow enough to not
only strike the correct pitches, but to train your muscles to memorize these paths. The more often
you play the correct notes, even under tempo, the more likely you are to succeed when the tempo
increases. As with Summertime, this exercise does not need to be played in other keys.
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Try to avoid the temptation of playing through many combinations without mastering them.
Find a few combinations you like and stick with them for a few weeks.
NOTE: When referring to 4-mallet stickings they will be numbered as illustrated, left-to-right, 1-2-
3-4.
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Most people who are new to this style of stroke forget to rebound the inside mallet.
This will cause fluidity problems when you want to play several lateral strokes in a row
(like when you’re rolling). The wrist motion is a very narrow oval shape. Pretend you
have a pencil where your inside mallet is (in the right hand) and you want to draw this
shape:
Keeping this shape in mind practice the motion in the air, then transfer it to the keyboard.
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4-Mallet “Permutations”
Below are eight common permutations which all 4-mallet players should be familiar with. Simply
put, a permutation is a change in the order in which the mallet strikes. They each feel a little
different, so it’s a good idea to spend more time with each permutation. Slow repetitions will help
to reinforce muscle memory.
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Interval Control
These two exercises work four-mallet interval changes and shifting. Again, start very slowly using
a piston stroke and focus on accurate shifts from note to note. The wrist motion must be relaxed
and fluid. When you’re comfortable with this, you can boost up the tempo or try these exercises in
different keys.
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Shifting
This is the ultimate shifting exercise. Because it has such a large range of notes, you will have to
get on a 4.3 octave marimba to get through all of the keys. Some keys, like B-flat major, are
physically difficult to perform. Stick with it! Good footwork will also contribute to striking the
correct bars. The feet, legs, and other large muscles should anticipate the mallet shifts. This
exercise should be performed slowly in all major keys.
One-Handed Octaves
This is another difficult exercise! It is meant to be played with four mallets, one-hand-at-a-time,
hence the name. Less experienced players tend to use too much arm motion in their octave
strokes. This can lead to harsh sounds and wrong notes. To execute this exercise effectively, use a
relaxed wrist stroke and keep the stroke heights low. Practice very slowly, using a piston stroke
and focus on shifting properly from note to note. Once the technical side is strong, try this exercise
in major and minor modes.
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Two-Handed Scales
This is an extremely difficult exercise and should be played very slowly. The hand that is playing
the scale passage should use a legato stroke and use natural phrasing to shape the line. The
“comping” hand uses a piston stroke and must focus on shifting, shaping, and balance. There’s a
lot to think about! Stick to one key until you get the technical concepts down. Then you can try
other major or minor keys (the comping notes stay the same for major and minor).
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Traditional Rolls
This is the most common and perhaps the most versatile of all rolls. It can be used in almost every
musical situation. It involves vertical strokes, alternated between the hands.
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Combination Rolls
This roll is achieved by combining a lateral stroke in one hand and a vertical in the other.
Combination rolls sound best when one hand is playing a pedal tone (sustaining the same pitch
throughout the entire passage). In this situation, play the pedal tone with the lateral stroke and the
moving line with the vertical stroke.
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Section 4: Front Ensemble Exercises
These are exercises that work on essential percussion techniques and concepts that apply to almost
all percussion instruments. These are to be practiced with drum sticks on a drum pad or a pillow.
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