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Writing for Percussion

Pitched percussion instruments and how each is notated, unpitched notation on a one-line stave, and practicalities of writing a playable part.

A4 · 1 page · 435 KB ⤢ View ⬇ Download PDF

What's inside

  • Pitched percussion — timpani, glockenspiel, xylophone, marimba, vibraphone, tubular bells — with range, notation and what each is for
  • Unpitched notation on a one-line stave, and how several players share one five-line stave
  • How to say how a note is struck, not just what note, plus rolls, damping, and letting a note ring
  • Four practicalities: counting players not instruments, allowing bars to change instrument, giving timpani time to retune, and listing every instrument needed
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Looking for step-by-step lessons instead? Head to Music Theory. Want composing ideas? Try Composing.