Any marimba player here?

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ebiggs1
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Post by ebiggs1 » Sat May 30, 2020 2:23 pm

My "resident" marimba player says this will be challenging. Any opinions?
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zuill
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Post by zuill » Sat May 30, 2020 2:28 pm

The only part that could be difficult are the 16th note scales. A good player should be able to do it.

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ebiggs1
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Post by ebiggs1 » Sat May 30, 2020 2:36 pm

In your opinion would 1/8ths, in those bars be better, easier for the player? I don't want it too difficult.
Finale 27.4.1 - Perfect Layout Silver - Note Performer 4.4 - SmartScore Pro 64 - Windows 11
President, The Shawnee Concert Band, Composer/Arranger, retired Music Teacher.

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ebiggs1
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Post by ebiggs1 » Sat May 30, 2020 2:43 pm

Here is the deal, I asked a music major at KU if he could play it and of course the stock answer from any of them is, "Oh yeah, I can play that." Than my normal marimba player saw it, for our local community band said it was "very challenging". Got me worried I wrote a too difficult part.
Thanx
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zuill
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Post by zuill » Sat May 30, 2020 3:35 pm

Have your player record the passages deemed difficult and see what you get. That will help you decide what to do.

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bkshepard
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Post by bkshepard » Mon Jun 01, 2020 6:47 pm

Due to the way the body moves with the arms, parallel motion is usually much more difficult than contrary motion.

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ebiggs1
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Post by ebiggs1 » Mon Jun 01, 2020 8:36 pm

I am not a marimba player. :wink: I have received so many different opinions I am going to rewrite the marimba part or eliminate it altogether. Perhaps just a treble staff part. From "No problem" told to me by the music majors at KU to "It's a challenge" by some amatuer players around town.

I don't want contrary motion so that's out but that seems, to me, to be a more difficult way. Too bad!
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zuill
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Post by zuill » Mon Jun 01, 2020 8:52 pm

My 2 cents: the only problem might be the parallel octave 16th note scales. The tempo is not too fast throughout, but at that point, it might be a challenge for some. Just put a note that the lower staff is optional there (or whichever staff is less needed). Then the player could do a normal scale with alternating sticks (hands). The ones who could handle it could play it as written.

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Last edited by zuill on Tue Jun 02, 2020 12:38 am, edited 1 time in total.
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ebiggs1
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Post by ebiggs1 » Mon Jun 01, 2020 11:00 pm

I like that idea. Will do
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bkshepard
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Post by bkshepard » Tue Jun 02, 2020 6:49 pm

ebiggs1 wrote:
Mon Jun 01, 2020 8:36 pm
I am not a marimba player. :wink: I have received so many different opinions I am going to rewrite the marimba part or eliminate it altogether. Perhaps just a treble staff part. From "No problem" told to me by the music majors at KU to "It's a challenge" by some amatuer players around town.

I don't want contrary motion so that's out but that seems, to me, to be a more difficult way. Too bad!
I am a marimba player. My comment was not to imply that you shouldn't write parallel passages, it was just to let you know that what often seems simple on one instrument can create issues on another instrument. Because the player is standing, if the arms are moving in the same (parallel) direction, it requires the player to shift their balance. If the arms are moving in opposite (contrary) directions, it doesn't. We do it all the time, and practice being able to do so. At the slower tempo you have marked, it should be fine. However, if things start moving quickly, the faster notes can be problematic. Be aware, that some players may take parallel passages in the same hand using two mallets in each hand.

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ebiggs1
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Post by ebiggs1 » Tue Jun 02, 2020 8:54 pm

I deleted it.
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bkshepard
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Post by bkshepard » Tue Jun 02, 2020 9:41 pm

You mentioned asking folks at KU about this. I'm a long-ago KU alum who majored in percussion performance. :)

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ebiggs1
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Post by ebiggs1 » Tue Jun 02, 2020 11:29 pm

How long ago? :D I have been going there for close to 30 years. Bob Foster and the late Tom Stidham are good friends of mine. Jim Barnes
Now Mathew Smith and particularly Sharon Toulouse are friends.
David Vining, Roger Oster and currently Mike Davidson the trombone profs.
Finale 27.4.1 - Perfect Layout Silver - Note Performer 4.4 - SmartScore Pro 64 - Windows 11
President, The Shawnee Concert Band, Composer/Arranger, retired Music Teacher.

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