getting started [Archive] - Pearl Drummers Forum

Mr. Intensity

04-26-2009, 12:54 PM

Hey there,

It seems like alot of people are trying to get into the realm of marching percussion these days. One of the best suggestions is to get yourself a private lesson teacher who specializes in marching percussion. In almost every case, the technique that we use is very detailed in making sure that you look the same as the others around us; so if you use a very free technique, you'll need to change it in order to look and play like everyone else.

Now, if you're not used to the traditional technique in the left hand now would be an excellent time to learn it. Almost every DCI corps or WGI Indoor line use traditional grip with their snarelines; you usually find matched grip snarelines at high school and some college level lines. Again, try to get a teacher to explain and show you how to hold and play traditional because there are many different interpretations on what the "correct" way is.

As for books, you may want to check out Jeff Queen's new book, "Playing with Sticks". It has a DVD counterpart that you can watch to get down technique and whatnot. I've never used the book personally but I have heard that it is a good practicing tool for beginning up to intermediate drummers. If you want to step out of the book, www.tapspace.com is an excellent resource for music. It's run by Murray Gusseck (SCV) and Jim Casella (Cavaliers) and they put out marching music from both of their corps respectively. I own almost every piece of music that's ever been on that website in the marching section there, it really is a great resource. Now, if paying isn't your thing, go to www.snarescience.com. It's an online snare drum community that has lessons, exercises, etc. There's also a forum where you can get help with pretty much any question you might have. When you first go however, don't ask for music right away and try searching for what you might need an answer for first-just like on the PDF they do tend to get a little anal about new people asking the same old questions.

Another suggestion I would have to give is to get yourself a good practice pad and a good pair of marching sticks. Yes, you could use your drumset sticks, but you'll never achieve the results you want with those things. Personally, I use Innovative Percussion FS-TF Tim Fairbanks model sticks and the Vic Firth SMG Murray Gusseck "M-Dawgs"; I highly recommend either pair. But, in the more main stream catagory, you can always start with the Vic Firth SRH Ralph Hardimon model or the SSJ Scott Johnson model. Both pairs can be found easily at Guitar Center or pretty much any walk in music store.

Now, as for a good practice pad, you want something that replicates a marching snare but isn't quite a marching snare. My top three picks: Vic Firth Slim Pad (with the laminate), the HQ RealFeel Double-Sided Pad, and the Offworld Invader v3.

The Vic Firth pad is going to be the easiest to get, most every place will stock it and it really is a great pad for the money. If you want to order online, go to www.steveweissmusic.com or www.lonestarpercussion.com- you can't go wrong with those guys.

HQ's pad is pretty much the workhorse of the pad world, almost everyone I know owns one of these things (including myself). They are kind of the staple for what a good pad should be, durable, tough, well made, easy to play. Again, for ordering online, see above.

The last pad is the most expensive of the three, but in my opinion it blows the others away. See this thread--->Invader Review (http://www.pearldrummersforum.com/showthread.php?t=223724) for a review I did on the v2 pad. The new v3 is essentially the same pad, just slightly larger and with a thicker more refined base to the thing.

I know this is a long post, but hopefully you'll find something out of here that helps you out.

-Mr. Intensity