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Percussion Solos

Posted by Not a Percussionist on 12/11/2024, 3:54 pm

I'm looking for some recommendations of go-to class 1 snare drum solos and timpani solos for a student to use for college auditions. Thanks!

Re: Percussion Solos

Posted by Drums on 12/12/2024, 11:24 am, in reply to "Percussion Solos"

The Studies in Copper collection and the Musical Etudes by Fink are great repertoire for college auditions.

Mean Man Matt from the rudimental cookbook is considered the easiest class 1. The Blue Book is full of good stuff.

Concert snare etudes that are impressive for college would be the Tompkins French American Rudimental solos and the Keith Aleo advanced Etudes.

These are all on the PML. If you're not tied to the PML, there are other suggestions.

Re: Percussion Solos

Posted by bob saget on 12/13/2024, 1:23 pm, in reply to "Re: Percussion Solos"

Hi Ho Simpson

Re: Percussion Solos

Posted by MMM on 12/12/2024, 4:14 pm, in reply to "Re: Percussion Solos"

Mean Man Matt is now a class 2. Good piece, though! I still think that it can be used to demonstrate a player's marching snare chops for an audition.

Re: Percussion Solos

Posted by Drums on 12/12/2024, 11:46 pm, in reply to "Re: Percussion Solos"

Thanks for the update! My favorite is Legend of a Two-Eyed Soldier, but no one plays it anymore.

Re: Percussion Solos

Posted by Etudes on 12/12/2024, 11:18 am, in reply to "Percussion Solos"

Been out of the college audition scene for a while, but when I was auditioning, TMEA etudes served very well as audition material.

I think when I auditioned I played a Cirone snare etude, a Pratt Rudimental Snare Solo, 2 mallet transcription. Intermediate level 4 mallet solo…a short one, just enough to show what ya got. And a timpani etude., 4 drums with tuning changes. Some colleges want to see drumset or multiple percussion, others just look at it as a bonus.

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