Brass and Percussion

Percussion instruments such as drums, cymbals, gongs, and xylophones comprise one of the largest and ever-expanding areas of music performance, composition, and sound effects. Profusely illustrated, A Dictionary for the Modern Percussionist and Drummer is an essential resource for any student, professional, or amateur musician who wants to delve into the vast world of percussion and drumming instruments and terminology. With an emphasis on modern terms in many languages and genres, James A. Strain has defined, detailed, and explained the use of percussion instruments and drums not only for classical genres (such as orchestra, symphonic, band, and opera) but also for popular styles (such as jazz, rock, music theater, and marching band). Also included are those world music instruments and ensembles commonly found in public school and university settings (such as steel drum bands, samba bands, and gamelan ensembles) as well as historical genres related to rope and rudimental drumming. Written for professional and amateur percussionists as well as non-percussionist educators, this book includes valuable topics on instrument construction and tuning and specific playing techniques, as well as instrument setup diagrams with models and ranges of keyboard percussion instruments. With more than 300 images and examples, it is the ideal reference book to enable any musician to better understand the extensive world of percussion and drumming.

The Encyclopedia of Percussion is an extensive guide to percussion instruments, organized for research as well as general knowledge. Focusing on idiophones and membranophones, it covers in detail both Western and non-Western percussive instruments. These include not only instruments whose usual sound is produced percussively (like snare drums and triangles), but those whose usual sound is produced concussively (like castanets and claves) or by friction (like the cuíca and the lion's roar). The expertise of contributors have been used to produce a wide-ranging list of percussion topics. The volume includes: (1) an alphabetical listing of percussion instruments and terms from around the world; (2) an extensive section of illustrations of percussion instruments; (3) thirty-five articles covering topics from Basel drumming to the xylophone; (4) a list of percussion symbols; (5) a table of percussion instruments and terms in English, French, German, and Italian; and (6) an updated section of published writings on methods for percussion.

The second half of the twentieth century saw vast changes in all aspects of percussion - the instruments themselves, playing techniques, and percussion writing - plus the huge influence of pop music, jazz, and film scores. Additionally, the revolution in travel and communications has meant that composers have become much more aware of a seemingly endless variety of ethnic instruments from around the world. Holland aims to show the world of percussion as it is today, and to answer some common questions about it. Today's professional players frequently find themselves performing in many countries where the availability of percussion instruments can vary widely. Practical Percussion contains a section on manufacturers and suppliers all over the world. In addition to this list of manufacturers, the percussion requirements - both instruments and players - for some 1500 works are also listed. The foreword by Pierre Boulez further assists the reader in appreciating and understanding the richness, variety, and function of percussion instruments the world over.