The following list of mallets, sticks, instruments, etc. will be helpful for you to have as you enter the percussion program here at SFA. Please note everything on this list is optional; nothing list is required for you to have as you enter the program. This list is only to help you transition into your studies here at SFA more smoothly. As you progress through the program, you will be required to purchase music, mallets, and instruments relating to the instruments you will be studying as necessary.

BOOK

  • “Majoring in Music: All the Stuff You Need to Know” by Rich Holly
  • A Practical Guide To Percussion Terminology, Russ Girsberger (Meredith Music).

MALLETS/STICKS

  • 1 pair, light/medium concert snare drum sticks: Vic Firth’s Ney Rosauros (SNR), Tom Gaugers (TG15), or equivalent.
  • 1 pair, heavy concert snare drum sticks: Vic Firth’s Ted Atkatz (SATK) or equivalent.
  • 1 pair, light duty (jazz) drum set sticks: Vic Firth’s American Jazz 3 or equivalent.
  • 1 pair, brushes: Vic Firth’s Russ Miller Wire Brush or equivalent.
  • 1 pair, multi-mallet: Vic Firth’s 5A Soft Touch (5AST) or equivalent.
  • 1 pair, bundle sticks: Vic Firth’s Rute 606 or equivalent.
  • 1 pair, soft solo marimba mallets: Vic Firth’s Van Robert Van Sice - M121 (any signature artist series) orequivalent.
  • 2 pair, medium-soft marimba mallets: Vic Firth’s Van Robert Van Sice - M122 (any signature artist series) orequivalent.
  • 2 pair, medium hard-marimba mallets: Vic Firth’s Van Robert Van Sice - M123 (any signature artist series) orequivalent.
  • 1 pair, hard solo marimba mallets: Vic Firth’s Van Robert Van Sice - M124 (any signature artist series) or equivalent.
  • 2 pair, vibe/marimba mallets: Vic Firth’s Terry Gibbs – M31 or equivalent.
  • 1 pair medium rubber mallets: Vic Firth’s Ensemble Series – M153 or equivalent.
  • 1 pair, hard rubber mallets: Vic Firth’s Ensemble Series – M155 or equivalent.
  • 1 pair medium soft xylophone mallets: Vic Firth’s Orchestral Series – M132 or equivalent.
  • 1 pair hard xylophone/bell mallets: Vic Firth’s Orchestral Series – M134 or equivalent.
  • 1 pair, orchestra bell mallets: Vic Firth’s Orchestral Series – M141or equivalent.
  • 1 pair, General timpani mallets: Vic Firth’s Tim Genis – “Beethoven Soft” (GEN2) or equivalent.
  • 1 pair, Ultra-Staccato timpani mallets: Vic Firth’s Tim Genis – “Articulate” (GEN7) or equivalent.

INSTRUMENTS/EQUIPMENT

  • Dress for SFA Percussion Ensemble and chamber percussion concerts varies. We use bothblack long sleeve shirt/blouse as well as a solid color (any shade) long sleeve shirt/blouse. Wealways wear black slacks/skirt and black dress shoes (No athletic shoes!). Most large ensemblesin the School of Music ask you to provide a tuxedo/black dress for concert performances aswell.
  • Tuning Fork (Digital Application): “Tuning Fork” by Digital Downloads: downbeat/id433263223?mt=8
  • Metronome (Digital Application): “Click Designer” by Digital Downloads:
  • Stick case/bag: Vic Firth’s Concert Keyboard Bag (CKBAG), large attaché or sample case. Most studentsacquire several bags and cases to hold all their equipment.
  • Three (3) black hand-towels. You will use these to accommodate silent mallet changes whenyou set them on music stands.
  • Dress for the SFA Steel Band is a khaki slacks/skirt, and casual shoes, and the official SFA Steel Band Shirt, which will be purchased at the beginning of the semester (~$25).
  • Practice Pad: HQ Percussion "Real Feel" 12 inch double-sided model or equivalent.
  • Students should budget approximately $300 toward the purchase of a triangle, triangle beaters& clips, and a tambourine, to be purchased during the first semester of study if they don’talready own artist quality instruments/accessories. There are so many choices to make wheninvesting in a quality product that students may want to sample a variety of instruments and

accessories from the faculty, staff, and their classmates to determine which brands and modelswould best serve their needs.

  • Portable, high-quality audio or video recording device to record lessons, practice sessions,rehearsals, recitals, and clinics. Recommended models: VIDEO & AUDIO – Zoom Q2HD;
  • Have a rubber stamp or adhesive labels made that can identify your music and books. A paint stick, permanent marker or colored tape will help identify your mallets.
  • Start a percussionist's survival kit that includes: small pair of scissors, roll of duct tape, screwdriver, Dr. Scholl's Moleskin, nylon fishing line, standard drum key, timpani drum key, bee's wax(for tambourine heads), cymbal felts & sleeves, etc.

MUSIC

SNARE DRUM

  • Intermediate Snare Drum Studies, Mitchell Peters.
  • Advanced Snare Drum Studies, Mitchell Peters.
  • Portraits in Rhythm, Anthony Cirone.
  • DouzeÉtudes, Jacques Delécluse (Leduc).

MULTIPLE PERCUSSION

  • Music for Multi-Percussion: A World View, James Campbell and Julie Hill (Alfred Music).
  • Multitudes, edited by Andrew Bliss
  • Contemporary Percussionist, Udow/Watts.

MALLET KEYBOARD

  • Fundamental Method for Mallets – Vol. 1, Mitchell Peters
  • Percussion Keyboard Technique, Thomas McMillan (Pro Art).
  • Ideo-Kinetics, A Workbook for Marimba Technique, Gordon Stout (Keyboard Percussion
  • Publications).
  • Four-Mallet Marimba Playing, Nancy Zeltsman (Hal Leonard).

TIMPANI

  • Exercises, Etudes, and Solos for the Timpani, Raynor Carroll.
  • Concepts for Timpani, John Beck (Carl Fischer).
  • The Working Timpanist’s Survival Guide, John Tafoya (Carl Fischer).

Originally created by James Campbell

Revised by Brad Meyer

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