Bachovich Music Publications Phrase Maze: 150 Rhythm Duets - Pulak - Snare Drum Duet - Book

Author: Zac Pulak
Format: Book
Instrumentation: Snare Drum (Duet)

One of the great joys of my teaching career has been the "Aha!" moment when a dedicated student makes a breakthrough on a difficult concept. Often, these moments are inspired by playing together, which challenges and motivates the student to achieve new levels of proficiency. I created this book to fill a gap in the existing pedagogical material, composing a collection of short and versatile duets which can be used during lessons to develop the beginning percussionists' sense of pulse, rhythmic vocabulary, and reading abilities. For the advancing student, this book can serve as a launching pad to work on more difficult concepts. For the teacher, I strove to compose enough duets that the same skills could be developed with multiple students without relying on the same etudes for each lesson. It is also my hope that teachers of other instruments will find this book useful in assisting to develop the rhythmic literacy of their students.

The duets in this book are composed as "blueprints", and as such, are intentionally devoid of tempo indications, dynamic markings, or any other phrase directions. In using these bare-bones rhythmic structures, the teacher should be encouraged to tailor the duet to suit the needs of the student or the pedagogical task at hand. For instance, it may be enough for a beginner to play the rhythm in a relaxed manner at a steady pulse, perhaps adding dynamics, quicker tempi, and so on as they master each skill. Further along, imposing a specific sticking, various rudiments, buzz rolls (i.e. fill all half notes with eighth-note or sixteenth-note buzzes), or other complications will create an additional challenge and keep the student engaged. Teachers and students of non-percussion instruments might find it useful to rest their chops mid-lesson and clap through a duet or two, and teachers in classrooms can utilize the duets in break-out groups with their students. Advanced students or professionals may use the book as source material for any number of technical drills. It should go without saying that counting while playing is essential!

These exercises will be most effective when used creatively, and the sky is the limit in how this material can be molded to fit your specific situation. Happy duetting!