Table of Contents

Lesson Page Material

Review 1 Dotted Notes, Compound Time, Rolls

4.1 2 The Major Scale

4.2 6 Triplets

4.3 8 More Percussion Instruments

4.4 12 More Drum Kit Patterns

4.5 16 Playing Together

Rudiments 18 Rudiment Practice

Conclusion 20 Level 4 Wrap-up

Produced by The Salvation Army

Music and Arts Ministries

1st Edition
Copyright 2017 The Salvation Army
Canada and Bermuda Territory
2 Overlea Blvd. Toronto ON M4H 1P4

Original Author: Marcus Venables

Contributors: Rachel Ewing, Matthew Moore, Nicholas Samuel, Jacob Slous
 Introduction and Review

Before we start Level 4, here is a quick look at various basics learned in the
previous levels. Be sure to check out the previous books if you feel you need a
refresher on any of this material. This page should help prepare you for what is to
come in Level 4!

Dotted Notes:

When you put a dot after a note, you

add half the length of the original note.

Compound Time:

At a slow tempo, we can count six eighth

note beats. At a faster tempo, we count
two compound beats.

Rolls: (double stroke)

In order to sustain a roll, bounce the drum sticks in a

controlled manner. The bounce must alternate between
hands after every double stroke. The stickings would look
like this: RRLLRRLL…etc.

(Remember that each roll has a defined name. This is determined by the
amount of times the drum is struck.)
• 5 stroke roll = RRLLR
• 7 stroke roll = RRLLRRL
• 9 stroke roll = RRLLRRLLR

1 Level 4
 Lesson 4.1 The Major Scale
Playing keyboard percussion can be very difficult, especially sight reading. Like
playing piano or most other musical instruments, we gain more confidence and
skills by practicing scales.

A major scale is formed by notes in a specific order, covering an octave.

Remember, an octave is the distance between two notes of the same letter
name (i.e. C to C, G to G).

A major scale can go up (ascending), down (descending) or both, and is

formed using tones (T) and semitones (S). In particular, the ascending scale is
built on the following pattern of tones and semitones: T T S T T T S

2 Level 4
Let’s practice

Hopefully you have the appropriate instrument to practice these exercises. Do

not use regular drum sticks to play on keyboard percussion.

a)

We’ll continue to work on C major exercises, but with increasing difficulty.

b)

Keep the mallet placements very consistent. In this next example, notice how
the left hand has to cross over top of the right. This helps in minimizing
movement. As you can see, the left mallet almost stays completely on the G.
Simply angle the left mallet so it won’t obstruct the motion of the right hand.

c)

Most of these exercises can be played in single stroke alternating pattern or you
can utilize some double stroke patterns. Just aim for accurate rhythm and
attacks. Remember that almost all of the technique learned on these
instruments is transferable with the other.

3 Level 4
Let’s take a look at F major. Keep in mind to play Bb when notated and
remember that the key signature carries through each bar.

d)

Watch out for the large leaps.

e)

Now, we’ll add different rhythms.

f)

4 Level 4
Let’s look at G major. It is important to continue to practice scale patterns and
various speeds on your own.

g)

The next exercise focuses on playing thirds. It is good to play all your scales in this
format as well.

h)

Practicing scales with different rhythmic patterns is great for combining rudiment
practice with keyboard/mallet practice.

i)

j)

There’s one last exercise to practice before we finish this lesson. This is a common
pattern for keyboard percussion. Maintain a relaxed feeling and let the left
hand move up and down as needed.

k)

5 Level 4
 Lesson 4.2 Triplets

A group of three eighth notes can also occur in simple time signatures (2/4, 3/4,
4/4). In this situation, they are called triplets.

A triplet is a group of three notes that are played within one beat. For example,
in 4/4 time, you could have triplet eighth notes which would take up the same
amount of time as two eighth notes:

* Notice that two eighth notes in the first measure and triplet eighth
notes in the second measure both equal one simple beat in 4/4 time.

In 4/4 time, you can have as many as 12 triplet eighths in one measure.

Within a triplet, you can combine eighth notes in different ways. Here’s an
example which shows triplets that look a little different:

6 Level 4
Let’s practice

The majority of the following exercises can be played on any percussion

instrument. The focus will be on rhythmic accuracy and finding the differences
between triplets and other note values. Practice them all with varying degrees
of tempo and dynamics. Single stroke is the best pattern to use at this point.

a)

b)

c)

In addition to standard rhythm patterns, we will now work on timing triplets with
the inclusion of rests. Try to make a distinction between the triplet quarter to
eighth and the dotted eighth to sixteenth seen in exercises f) and g).

d)

e)

f)

g)

7 Level 4
 Lesson 4.3 – More Percussion Instruments

One of the exciting parts of playing percussion is being able to play a number of
different instruments, usually within the same piece. In this lesson, we will quickly
go over the basics for the triangle, tambourine and clash cymbals.

Triangle Tambourine Clash Cymbals

Make sure the triangle is A tambourine should be held Hold the cymbal with the
hanging free of any in your non-dominant hand. thumb and index finger. Let
obstructions. Angle the head of the the fingers wrap around the
tambourine towards your strap and push the top
Strike the triangle on the dominant hand so that you cymbal (which is held in the
outside top corner furthest have ample room to strike the dominant hand) into the other
from the open side. head. clash cymbal at a slightly off
Keep the beater at a forty-five centred angle.
degree angle to the triangle's Hold your four fingers together
side to produce a full sound. with your thumb flush to your Let the cymbals vibrate for the
middle finger and quickly notated length. To dampen,
Be aware of the dynamic you strike the head at a location bring the cymbals into the
are to play. A lighter stroke about a third of the distance upper part of the body and
should be given for a softer towards the center of the arms.
sound, and a stronger stroke head from the frame.
for a louder sound. Less volume will be produced
When playing a more upbeat the closer the cymbals are
Dampen the sound, style that requires faster held.
depending on the length of tambourine rhythms, you can
the note, with your other hand hold it in your dominant hand Always be sure to press them
by pressing the resonating side to control the shake speed. To together evenly as to avoid
of the triangle. create an accented note, hit double attacks.
the tambourine against your
palm.

Notation for these instruments can always vary from piece to piece. But more
often than not, you will find them notated like this:

8 Level 4
Let’s practice

For the first few exercises, we will focus on the individual instruments one at a
time. Remember to hold them correctly.

a)

b)

c)

The above exercises are just the starting point for these instruments. Be sure to
dampen the sound of the triangle and clash cymbals. The next exercises will
have more complex rhythms and time signatures.

d)

9 Level 4
e)

f)

Here are a few more exercises for the tambourine. Because of the rhythmic
nature of the instrument and its use within Salvation Army music, it requires some
more practice to keep the rhythm steady and precise.

g)

h)

Play the next exercise by holding the tambourine in your dominant hand and
shaking it in rhythm. Take note of the accents in measures 3 and 4, these are
emphasized notes that you play by hitting the tambourine against your palm.

10 Level 4
i)

Let’s put these three instruments together to play a few different exercises. This
will require more than one person, however if you are on your own, you can pick
one part at a time and count all the other rests.

j)

We will use different staves for each instrument in the next exercise. Notice the
inclusion of snare drum. The goal is for everything to match rhythmically. Listen
for balance and maintain a good steady tempo.

k)

11 Level 4
 Lesson 4.4 – More Drum Kit Patterns
In Level 3, we learned the basics of playing the drum kit. Now it’s time to expand
on the basics by introducing Tom-toms and different Time signatures.

Tom-toms:
Tom-toms (also referred to as just simply “toms”) are another
part of the drum kit and can be used in a variety of different
ways. For now, we will use it within a drum fill. The number of
toms on your drum kit is up to you, but the standard is three.

Here is the standard notation for toms. Keep in mind, the smaller the tom the
higher the sound, so the notation is relative to the pitch it makes.

Time Signatures:
Playing the kit for different time signatures is essential. We will look at playing the
kit for both 3/4 and 6/8. It will feel a little bit different than the 4/4 patterns we
worked on in Level 3, but a lot of the principal ideas are the same. Here are two
examples:

As you might notice, the bass drum plays on the first beat which is common for
most basic patterns. When the snare plays can always vary, but it often gives
the overall feel of the pattern by accenting something other than the down
beat.

We learn these patterns by slowly adding all of the layers together. You can use
this way of learning even in your band setting. The most important thing is to
maintain rhythm and time. Add in the different instruments as you get more
familiar with the feel.

12 Level 4
Let’s practice

Here are a few exercises to practice playing toms before putting it all together
with the entire drum kit. Try using multiple types of stroke patterns to find the
most suitable fit for each specific notated rhythm.

a)

b)

c)

d)

The next step is to add the other parts of the drum kit alongside the toms.
Remember that it is
notated as follows:

13 Level 4
You will see notated stickings in these next few exercises. This is merely a guide to
help you learn. However, this is not a set rule that you must follow. Use these as a
starting point for your drum kit practice.

f)

g)

h)

Something to keep in mind:

When playing the drum kit, always keep the time and rhythm steady. If the
addition of toms is throwing off the consistency of the eighths, scale it back until
you can utilize the toms seamlessly.

14 Level 4
To finish off this lesson, we will work on playing 3/4 and 6/8 drum kit patterns.
Obviously it is important to count. Remember the feel will be different than 4/4
time.

i)

j)

k)

l)

15 Level 4
 Lesson 4.5 – Playing Together
This won’t be a lesson to learn new techniques, but rather it will be a chance to
play as a group. There will be several three part studies that will cover many of
the different techniques learned through all of the levels up to this point.

Select the group that is best suited for the instrument you are playing. (Example:
Bass Drum or Clash Cymbal should play part C.) If you are alone, try playing
each individual part on its own.

a)

16 Level 4
b)

After playing through the above exercises, try switching parts to increase
comfort and experience with playing all of the percussion instruments.

17 Level 4
Rudiment practice

Single Stroke Seven:

We covered the single stroke rudiment in
Level 2, and the single stroke four in Level
3. The seven is very similar and enables you to play two triplets in succession.

Single Paradiddle-diddle:
This is a six stroke pattern that uses a double “diddle”
at the end. It is a full single stroke followed by a
double stroke.

Single Dragadiddle:
The single dragadiddle is essentially a
paradiddle that rolls the first note of each
paradiddle grouping. This is very close to a flam
or a drag, but the difference comes with the initial attack. There should be no
extra note added but rather a bounce inserted on the first note of each pattern.

18 Level 4
Other Rudiments

Paradiddle:

Double Paradiddle:

Triple Paradiddle:

Single Stroke Four:

19 Level 4
 Level 4 Wrap-up

To finish up Level 4, let’s review most of the material we have learned

throughout the book. These exercises will include playing some of the new
scales on keyboard percussion, with the inclusion of triplets and other use of new
rudiment patterns. (Also practice using other stroke patterns.)

a)

b)

c)

d)

20 Level 4