How to write for percussion
Subtitle: a comprehensive guide to percussion composition
By: Samuel Z. Solomon
Edition: Second edition.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 2016
Language: eng
Number of pages: 288
ISBN-13: 9780199920341; 9780199920365
Copyright date: 2016
Subjects: Instruction and study; Composition (Music); Percussion instruments
Other titles: Guide to percussion composition
Notes: Includes index.

"Oxford web music; visit the companion website"--Back cover.

"About the video companion": page xviii.
Table of contents: title: Introduction. How this book is organized ; Instruments covered ; Working with percussionists ; Location specifics ; The value of not reading this book; title: General framework. A dysfunctional family. Comparison of family relationships; title: The problem of pitch. The pitches of percussion ; The validations and limitations of novelty ; Three methods for indeterminately pitch instruments; title: The written/improv divide. Expanding the color palette (to shrink the setup) ; The value of improvised and non-notated music; title: Social composition. Write for people, not sounds ; Write what is wanted, not what to do ; Working with percussionists; title: General logistics. Instrument choice and management. Six stories, three sad and three happy ; Why use fewer instruments? ; How to consolidate ; Inexpensive instruments ; Exotic instruments ; Electronic percussion ; Multiple options for a specified instrument ; Instruments percussionists may not play ; Multiple percussionists ; Section setup ; Orchestra ; Wind ensemble ; Broadway pit ; Drum corps and marching bands ; Specialists ; Non-percussionists playing percussion ; Chairs and stands; title: Issues of playability. Excessive polyphony ; How fast percussionists can play ; Unidiomatic writing : music that often requires memorization ; Dynamics ; Reaching the instruments ; Instruments with pedals ; Physical exertion and shaking ; Working with headphones or headset microphones; title: General notation. Basics of percussion parts and scores. Instrument list ; Instrument key ; Setup diagram ; Language ; Parts ; Cues ; Percussion in the conductor's score ; Dynamics; title: Designing a notational system. Clefs ; Staves ; Noteheads ; Mixing determinately and indeterminately pitched instruments ; Key signatures ; What goes where on the staff ; The chicken or the egg? ; Unspecified instruments (indeterminate instrumentation) ; How much to notate ; Systems of notation for which there is no standard ; Return to a "normal" method of playing; title: Note length, articulation, and phrasing. Note length chart ; Exact or inexact note-length indications ; Muting (muffling, dampening) ; Dead stroke ; Damper pedals ; Rolls; title: Notations that are not recommended. Symbol notation ; Altered keyboard notation (timbre-staff); title: Beaters. To indicate or not to indicate? ; Beater lingo ; Logistical beater issues ; Sticks ; Mallets ; Triangle beaters and Knitting needles ; Brushes ; Rute sticks ; Chime hammers (Tubular bell hammers) ; Superball mallet ; Beaters as instruments ; Hands ; Bows; title: Keyboard percussion. Ranges and construction ; Writing for keyboard percussion ; Stacked instruments ; Multiple players ; Extended techniques ; Miscellaneous; title: Drums. Sticks on drums ; Mallets on drums ; Hands on drums ; Playing on the rim or shell ; Beating spot ; Mutes ; Pitch bending ; Drum size ; Two-headed drums ; Multiple drums in setups ; Idiomatic writing for drums ; Timpani ; Tom-toms ; Snare drum, Field drum, and Tenor drum ; Concert bass drum and Pedal bass drum ; Bongos and Congas ; Timbales ; Roto-toms ; Frame drums ; Tambourines ; Djembe and Doumbek ; Boobams ; Drumset; title: Metal. Cymbals ; Gongs ; Finger cymbals ; Cowbells and Almglocken ; Temple bowls and Mixing bowls ; Brake drums, Metal pipes, Anvils, and Bell plates ; Thundersheet ; Junk metal, Tin cans, and Pots and pans ; Ribbon crasher ; Spring coil ; Church bells ; Hand bells ; Steel drums ; Tambourines ; Sleighbells ; Metal wind chimes, Mark tree, and Bell tree ; Flexatone ; Extended techniques; title: Wood. Woodblocks, Templeblocks, and Log drum ; Wooden planks ; Wood drums, Wooden boxes, Cajón, and Mahler hammer ; Claves ; Castanets ; Rute ; Guiro ; Slapstick ; Ratchet ; Bamboo wind chimes; title: Miscellaneous instruments. Bottles ; Cabasa ; Conch shell ; Crystal glasses ; Maracas and Shakers ; Rainstick ; Rice bowls and Flower pots ; Sandpaper blocks ; Sirens ; String drum and Cuica ; Stones and Prayer stones ; Thumb piano ; Vibraslap ; Wind chimes ; Whistles ; Wind machine; title: Appendix A. Repertoire analysis. Percussion ensemble. Edgard Varèse, Ionisation (1929-1931) ; John Cage, Constructions (1939-1942) ; Iannis Xenakis, Persephassa (1969) ; Steve Reich, Drumming (1970-1971) ; Steve Mackey, It is time (2010) ; John Luther Adams, Inuksuit (2009) ; Ryan Streber, Cold pastoral (2004) ; Nico Muhly, Ta & clap (2004) ; Adam Silverman, Naked and on fire (2011) ; Paul Lansky, Travel diary (2007); title: Orchestral. Béla Bartók ; Sergei Prokofiev ; Maurice Ravel ; Gustav Mahler ; Dmitri Shostakovich ; Leonard Bernstein ; Carl Nielsen ; Jean Sibelius ; Wind Ensemble; title: Smaller mixed ensemble. John Adams, Chamber symphony (1992) ; Stephan Hartke, Meanwhile (2007) ; Jacob Druckman, Come round (1992) ; Charles Wuorinen, New York notes (1982) ; Pierre Boulez, Sur incises (1996/1998); title: Percussion solo : Drums. Michio Kitazume, Side by side (1991) ; Elliott Carter, Eight pieces for four timpani (1950/1966) ; Casey Cangelosi, Meditation no. 1 (2011); title: Percussion solo : Keyboards. Jacob Druckman, Reflections on the nature of water (1986) ; Paul Simon, Amulet (2008) ; Steve Mackey, See ya Thursday (1992) ; Steve Swallow/Gary Burton, I'm your pal and Hullo Bolinas ; Donald Martino, Soliloquy (2003); title: Percussion solo : Multi-percussion. Iannis Xenakis, Psappha (1975) ; David Lang, Anvil chorus (1991) ; Roger Reynolds, Watershed (1995) ; Four Pieces for the author's "Setup #1" ; Nico Muhly, It's about time (2004) ; Michael Early, Raingutter (2007) ; Marcos Balter, Descarga (2006) ; Judd Greenstein, We shall be turned (2006); title: Percussion concerto. James MacMillan, Veni veni Emmanuel (1992) ; Einojuhani Rautavaara, Incantations (2008) ; Steven Mackey, Micro-concerto (1999); title: Orchestrating native sounds; title: Appendix B. Sample setups; title: Appendix C. Extended techniques. Return to a "normal" method of playing ; Manipulations of timbre ; Striking unusual parts of an instrument ; Unusual usage of beaters ; Dead stroke ; Beating spot ; Bowing ; Friction roll ; Scrape ; Prepared instruments ; Pitch bending ; Vibrato ; Adding mass ; Sympathetic resonance ; Clusters ; Harmonics; title: Appendix D. Pitch specification; title: Appendix E. Dynamics; title: Appendix F. Register; title: Appendix G. Beaters; title: Appendix H. Percussion family tree. Pitch clarity chart ; Note length chart ; Register chart ; Sound production chart ; The percussion family tree.