Composing for untuned percussions

Please give me tips on how to compose music or parts for untuned percussions. It can be special effect notations. It can be types of mallets. It can be anything related to untuned percussions. Thanks a lot.

Umm....are you in a Concert Band or Wind Ensemble? If you are, go back to the percussion section and play around with some of the stuff to see how they sound. If not, you'll have a really hard time.

I'm a percussionist, so I know what instruments make the desired effect. So if you're not in a band of some sort, here are a few pointers. At least, I think they're pointers... :shifty:

Use Crash Cymbals to accent a certain beat, or to begin a phrase that's considerably louder than the last. Or you can be Avant Garde and stick a crash in the middle of a ballad...

Suspended Cymbal rolls (using soft mallets) work well for a crescendo.

Gong is pretty much like Crash Cymbals, except it rings a lot more, so it's not used as often.

Triangle....umm.....

You should really hear what the instruments sound like before you write for them. I suggest you find a triangle, ratchet, vibraslap, tambourine, tom-toms, wood blocks, wind chimes, bell tree, gong, concert bass drum, snare, etc.

Oh, and talk to a percussionist about the different techniques used to play the instruments, 'cuz different techniques produce totally different sounds.

~Kal

_I really have no clue what I'm talking about. :D

What about notation? I'm sure many non-percussionists (including myself) are sometimes intimidated by percussion notation... how standardized is it?

I use, when writing on paper, slash notation for percussion. I'll sometimes use it in pieces, but usually go with the standard note notation, with different note heads for half notes and up. Half notes are usually just an open dot with an x in them.

The single tremolo lines are used usually for flams, and the three tremolo lines or a trill for noting a roll.

There's different ways of notating multi-stroke rolls, I use tuplets sometimes, and just a note value with a number over it other times.

When in doubt, standard notation is fine.

Well, first off I would like to say that even though they may seem un-tuned...Most percussion instruments are tuned to or around a certain note. Bass Drums I believe are tuned to somewhere around a G unless someone messes with the screws on the sides of the bass drum then it will be more like a micro-tone. But they do not have a key signature and are usually used for rhythmic purposes (keeping the tempo, filling space, adding flavor to a piece) As far as what to use when.......

Crash Cymbals- to accent or make a certain passage come across more to the listener.

Suspended Cymbal- To build up a phrase or passage or to accent it in a slightly different manner than the crash cymbals. (usually used with soft mallets but you can do things such as striking it with a drum stick, or using the handle of the mallet to produce a sound.

Tambourine- This instrument is not tuned on or around a note and is usually used to lighten the mood up a little bit or to darken the mood....It all depends on what the composer intends...(haha...that rhymed).

Bass drum and snare drum- these two usually go hand in hand. They are the keepers of the tempo and the overall drive of the song (when present)...use carefully.

Cool tricks- A cool "trick" you can use to add a weird, creepy, erie sort of mood is to take a violin bow (what string players use to make sound on their instruments) and apply that to a cymbal or to a set of bells (marimba, xylophone, bells) and it makes an awesome sound that adds a creepy edge to your music.

Hope this helped.....If you have anymore questions dont be afraid to ask.