Morning reading: Alcantara, Indirect Procedures Chapter 16 – Daily Practice
Snare drum/drumset (not drum pad!!)
Warmup/Improvisation/Technique – I decided to do my snare work at the kit…. I started by improvising with singles notes just on snare, but expanded to toms also, then added BD, and HH… I noticed while doing this that I was having a hard time controlling the volume of the HH, specifically, not being able to play as soft in HH foot as I am in hands and BD foot. So, while the improv was still based in singles, I shifted to a linear improvisation in multiple time signatures integrating all limbs with a focus on dynamic contrasts and control across the linear phrases. Improv shifted to include doubles and flam rudiments, and cymbals.
Sightreading – Delecluse orchestral solo (with snares off playing singles for rolls, over BD/HH on beats 1 and 2); read that solo again with snares on incorporating buzz rolls, and lots of rubato in tempo, while maintaining BD/HH under. Then improvised in that style before moving on to read Les Parks rudimental solo, with BD/HH under. More improvising with doubles in rudimental style commenced after.
Groove/style – began with a linear groove, but my mind shifted to something a student did in auditions this week and I decided to play a shuffle which then led me to vamping the Purdie shuffle for about 15-minutes. 😉
Through all of this, I noticed several things: 1. tension in my left foot, 2. that I no longer prefer the sound of the Zildjian New Beat HH (actually, I have NOT preferred this for a long time, just need to take the plunge to get a new set), 3. that I tensed up all over when reading the orchestral solo with buzz rolls, and 4. that as tension in my left foot built it contributed to more tension overall. Throughout, I was definitely aware that there was tension, and was able to reset and center myself from the spine, and ended feeling physically okay… but, the last thing I noticed was when I stopped my jaw released. So, the jaw clenching continues. No judgement, it just happens. It may stop tomorrow, maybe not.
Mallets
Warmup/Improvisation/Technique – started by tinkering around with simple linear diatonic lines, incorporating leading tones (technically playing with RLRL alternating strokes or RRLL, etc.). Just playing around led me to play some melodies that sounded Aaron Copland-ish, so I decided to go full out with that in my improv – mostly working around in the key of Bbmajor. Then, I played with the exercise I created for Rip Tide, but instead of playing with metronome, I varied dynamics and played rubato with lots of dramatic tempo fluctuations; I also played around improvising double stops in the range of Rip Tide, incorporating some patterns from the piece in different rhythmic phrases.
Rip Tide (mm. 153-end) – first read thru (hands only, marimba and cymbals) with no metronome, mf dynamic – felt good!
