ALL STATE PERCUSSION AUDITION INFO.
Percussion Students will be required to pass any two areas with an 85 and one with a 70 (Snare Drum, Timpani, and Keyboard Percussion) in order to be recommended for State Level Final Audition. Students will be required to perform in all three areas for both the district level, and the state level audition. There will be one sight-reading exercise in each of the three areas. The area’s district level, first round audition requirements are as follows:
• Snare Drum: Middle School - Multiple Bounce Roll, Flam Accent, Drag (Ruff), and student’s choice. Concert and Symphonic Bands – Multiple Bounce Roll, Flam Accent, Single Ratamacue, student’s choice. All rudiments to be played in an open-close-open rudimental presentation fashion, except for the Multiple Bounce Roll. The Multiple Bounce Roll should be played starting at a piano dynamic, crescendo to a forte dynamic, then decrescendo to a piano dynamic. Student’s Choice must be selected from the 40 Essential/Standard Rudiments.Student’s Choice must be selected from the 40 Essential/Standard Rudiments.
• Keyboard Percussion: Chromatic scale, full range of instrument; major scales and arpeggios as noted below by grade level:
• Middle School Scale Requirements: concert F, Bb, Eb, and Ab major, 2 octaves each, memorized, using the same rhythm pattern and tempo as required of middle school woodwind and brass scales/arpeggios.
•Concert & Symphonic Scale Requirements: middle school scales as listed above, plus: Concert Band, grades 9/10: Concert Db, Gb, G and C, 2 octaves each, memorized, using the same rhythm pattern and tempo as required of 9/10 woodwind and brass scales/arpeggios. Symphonic Band, grades 11/12: Middle school and Concert band scales/arpeggios as listed above, plus Concert D, A, E, and B, 2 octaves each, memorized, using the same rhythm pattern and tempo as require of 11/12 woodwind and brass scales/arpeggios. In short, All-State mallet scales/arpeggios should be played in an identical fashion as woodwind/brass scales are required on each level (i.e. Middle School, Concert and Symphonic Bands), regarding keys, order, rhythm pattern, and tempo. All mallet scales/arpeggios are 2 octaves each, memorized.
• Timpani: Two Timpani will be used for the audition. The tuning test requires students to tune (one time) to the sight-reading exercise. (The sight-reading pitches for the STATE level will match the pitches of the etude.) Middle School and Concert Band students may use any type of tone producer (pitch pipe, mallet instrument, etc.) for tuning, however no electronic devices may be used to produce a tone for tuning purposes by the student. Symphonic Band students will be given one pitch at the beginning of sight-reading, and that the student must tune to any subsequent pitches by ear only. The given pitch must be the lower pitch of the 2 drums. There will be a 30 second per drum time limit on the Middle School and Concert Band timpani tuning audition, and a 30 second total time limit on the Symphonic Band timpani tuning audition. This tuning procedure applies to both the DISTRICT and STATE level auditions. At the DISTRICT level audition for Middle School, Concert Band, and Symphonic Band, students will be required to play a Single Stroke Roll, slow to fast to slow, on either timpani drum – as well as a forte-piano roll followed by a crescendo on either timpani drum (this technique usually involves striking the drum, let the drum die down to a piano level, then begin the roll and crescendo the roll). Here is a breakdown of the procedure:
DISTRICT LEVEL (Middle School, Concert Band, Symphonic Band) Tune Timpani to Sight-reading Pitches Single Stroke Roll, slow to fast to slow (either drum) Forte-Piano Roll with crescendo (either drum) Sight-read
STATE LEVEL (Middle School, Concert Band, Symphonic Band) Tune Timpani to Sight-reading Pitches • Perform Etude (pitches should match the sight-reading pitches)
• Snare Drum: Middle School - Multiple Bounce Roll, Flam Accent, Drag (Ruff), and student’s choice. Concert and Symphonic Bands – Multiple Bounce Roll, Flam Accent, Single Ratamacue, student’s choice. All rudiments to be played in an open-close-open rudimental presentation fashion, except for the Multiple Bounce Roll. The Multiple Bounce Roll should be played starting at a piano dynamic, crescendo to a forte dynamic, then decrescendo to a piano dynamic. Student’s Choice must be selected from the 40 Essential/Standard Rudiments.Student’s Choice must be selected from the 40 Essential/Standard Rudiments.
• Keyboard Percussion: Chromatic scale, full range of instrument; major scales and arpeggios as noted below by grade level:
• Middle School Scale Requirements: concert F, Bb, Eb, and Ab major, 2 octaves each, memorized, using the same rhythm pattern and tempo as required of middle school woodwind and brass scales/arpeggios.
•Concert & Symphonic Scale Requirements: middle school scales as listed above, plus: Concert Band, grades 9/10: Concert Db, Gb, G and C, 2 octaves each, memorized, using the same rhythm pattern and tempo as required of 9/10 woodwind and brass scales/arpeggios. Symphonic Band, grades 11/12: Middle school and Concert band scales/arpeggios as listed above, plus Concert D, A, E, and B, 2 octaves each, memorized, using the same rhythm pattern and tempo as require of 11/12 woodwind and brass scales/arpeggios. In short, All-State mallet scales/arpeggios should be played in an identical fashion as woodwind/brass scales are required on each level (i.e. Middle School, Concert and Symphonic Bands), regarding keys, order, rhythm pattern, and tempo. All mallet scales/arpeggios are 2 octaves each, memorized.
• Timpani: Two Timpani will be used for the audition. The tuning test requires students to tune (one time) to the sight-reading exercise. (The sight-reading pitches for the STATE level will match the pitches of the etude.) Middle School and Concert Band students may use any type of tone producer (pitch pipe, mallet instrument, etc.) for tuning, however no electronic devices may be used to produce a tone for tuning purposes by the student. Symphonic Band students will be given one pitch at the beginning of sight-reading, and that the student must tune to any subsequent pitches by ear only. The given pitch must be the lower pitch of the 2 drums. There will be a 30 second per drum time limit on the Middle School and Concert Band timpani tuning audition, and a 30 second total time limit on the Symphonic Band timpani tuning audition. This tuning procedure applies to both the DISTRICT and STATE level auditions. At the DISTRICT level audition for Middle School, Concert Band, and Symphonic Band, students will be required to play a Single Stroke Roll, slow to fast to slow, on either timpani drum – as well as a forte-piano roll followed by a crescendo on either timpani drum (this technique usually involves striking the drum, let the drum die down to a piano level, then begin the roll and crescendo the roll). Here is a breakdown of the procedure:
DISTRICT LEVEL (Middle School, Concert Band, Symphonic Band) Tune Timpani to Sight-reading Pitches Single Stroke Roll, slow to fast to slow (either drum) Forte-Piano Roll with crescendo (either drum) Sight-read
STATE LEVEL (Middle School, Concert Band, Symphonic Band) Tune Timpani to Sight-reading Pitches • Perform Etude (pitches should match the sight-reading pitches)