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Don't have enough percussion, only 5

Posted by Japanese Pictures on 1/9/2025, 3:00 pm

Any solutions? Take out a complete percussion part? Play crash on a suspended with a snare stick? Pull a wind player?

Just need some ideas those in similar situations.

Re: Don't have enough percussion, only 5

Posted by Me on 1/21/2025, 2:51 pm, in reply to "Don't have enough percussion, only 5"

Those wind players have spent a lot of money (and so have their parents, for that matter) and worked very hard to learn their instrument. Don't pull one to cover another instrument in another family.

Do you have a percussionist you can pull from another ensemble? An overage or overeager beginner kid? Those kids can play up too.

Re: Don't have enough percussion, only 5

Posted by Me on 1/13/2025, 7:30 am, in reply to "Don't have enough percussion, only 5"

What's your ensemble classification? If it's anything non-varsity, then cut the part that has the least amount of playing and get your kids playing as much as possible. If possible, try to have students cover crucial parts that you cut on other instruments (ex. a bass drum player playing a crash during rest).

If you are a Varsity group, your judges might be a bit more picky, so I would really try to cover as much as you can. Divide up the least busy part and have everyone cover it as much as you can. Doing what you said with crash on a sus is a great way to do that kind of thing.

Don't pull a wind player. You are not playing at carnegie hall. It's not that big of a deal to leave some things out.

Re: Don't have enough percussion, only 5

Posted by G on 1/10/2025, 10:02 am, in reply to "Don't have enough percussion, only 5"

Back when I did this piece, I only had 4 percussionists! Here's what I would recommend you do with your 5.

- Cut the snare part, and only use the taiko part. It is the same part as the snare, plus it gives more of the timbre this piece calls for from the percussion.

- Keep the bass drum

- Keep the timpani

- Have the mallet player double up with whoever is doing the aux part of percussion 2. The xylo part is doubling trumpets and flutes which would help yes but it is not needed. The main part needed from the mallet is the bell part during the morning section in the middle.

I hope this helps!

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