Table of Contents

Lesson Page Material

Introduction 1 Staff, Clefs, Note Names

1.1 3 Note Values

1.2 5 Rest Values

1.3 7 Stick Technique

1.4 9 Dynamics and Tempo

1.5 14 Playing Duets

Conclusion 17 Level 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 – Staff, Clefs, Note Names

Before you start learning how to play percussion, there are a few basic
concepts we need to review. You may have learned this before so it will
be a good review. If this is new, take your time and read through each
explanation.

Staff
Musical notes are written on a staff
of five lines and four spaces. Notes
can be written on the lines or in the spaces.

Treble Clef
All music has a symbol at the start of every staff. These are called clefs.
They are used to indicate the pitch of the notes written on the staff.

This symbol is called the Treble Clef.

Bass Clef

The Bass Clef is another clef that is used in music. The Treble Clef is
used for high notes and the Bass Clef is used for low notes.

1 Level 1
 Percussion (Natural) Clef

The Percussion Clef is another clef that is used in music. This is what is
used to assign certain percussion instruments to a line or space. We don’t
use alphabet letters for the percussion clef, but instead they are
numbered.

Here are some basic notes for percussion instruments that you should
learn. When you see a note on the third space, you should play snare
drum. The first space is bass drum, and the second space is the
suspended cymbal.

The snare drum, bass drum and cymbal are all unpitched instruments.
Later on, you will learn about pitched percussion instruments that use
treble and bass clef, with changing notes.

2 Level 1
 Lesson 1.1 – Note Values

Notes can be played for different amounts of time. Some notes are
played for a short time, some are played longer.

Let’s start learning about rhythm by talking about some of these short and
long notes: whole notes, half notes, and quarter notes.

Most music has a beat (or pulse).

• Sometimes the beat of the music is fast.
• Sometimes the beat of the music is slow.

Each of these notes has a different length. Here’s how you count them.

3 Level 1
Let’s practice

Using your drum sticks, practice playing whole notes on whatever

percussion instrument you have. If you don’t have sticks, just use your
hands on a table or even your lap. Try using your left and right hand at the
correct time.

L = Left hand R = Right hand

a)

Keep repeating until you can play and count it perfectly. Now try playing
half notes. Half notes get 2 counts each.

b)

Once you have mastered half notes, you can start playing quarter notes.
Each quarter note will get 1 count each.

c)

Now we’ll try putting all of these types of notes together.

d)

e)

4 Level 1
 Lesson 1.2 – Rest Values
Rhythm in music does not only include notes. It also includes rests.

Like notes, rests last for a specific length of time. Rests are silence in music.

There are whole rests, half rests, quarter rests and more that you will learn
later.

A whole rest has the same value as a whole note – 4 beats. The same is
true of the other rests – they have the same value as the note with the
same name:

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Let’s practice
Once again, we’ll practice on our percussion instruments. This time, we
have to consider the rests. Count them but don’t play during them.

First we’ll start with whole notes and whole rests.

a)

Now let’s try doing half notes and rests.

b)

And now quarter notes and rests. Count carefully.

c)

It’s time to put them all together now.

d)

e)

f)

6 Level 1
 Lesson 1.3 – Stick Technique

Now that you’ve learned how to count different types of notes and rests,
let’s look at how drum sticks should be held.

Learning to hold the sticks properly is essential for improving technique.

Use the photos below as a guide and make sure to memorize the feel of
the following guidelines:
• #1 Fulcrum (thumb and first two fingers)
• #2 Finger contact (comfortably wrap all fingers around the stick; not
too tight)
• #3 Bead placement (as close together as possible for an even
sound) and then striking area (center of the drum head)
• #4 Wrist motion (down position and up position)

#1 Fulcrum #2 Finger Contact #3 Bead Placement #4 Down Position #4 Up Position

It is important for your grip to feel comfortable and relaxed. It is designed

to give you perfect control over the sticks. The power comes from the
thumb and forefinger while the other fingers control the bounce off the
drum.

In this lesson, we’re also going to work on different hand combinations. So

far, we’ve gone back and forth between R and L which is called a single
stroke. The next step is to feel comfortable using different patterns.

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Let’s practice

R vs L

a)

RRRRLLLL

b)

RRLL

c)

Watch the rests

d)

e)

f)

8 Level 1
 Lesson 1.4 – Dynamics and Tempo

Music can be made more meaningful, expressive, and interesting in a

number of ways. Some of the ways to achieve this is by adding Dynamics
and changing the Tempo. In this lesson, we will explain and work on these
important elements of music making.

Dynamics
In music, dynamics refer to the volume – how loud or soft
the notes are sung or played.

When the music is to be played loud, the music has a marking f, which
stands for forte.

When the music is to be played soft, the music has a marking p, which
stands for piano.

When the music is to be played at a medium dynamic, we say that it is to

be played mezzo piano (medium soft) or mezzo forte (medium loud). We
write these as mp and mf.

From soft to loud, we have the following dynamic markings:

9 Level 1
 Tempo
Tempo is how fast or slow a piece of music is played.

When the piece is to be played quickly,

the tempo word is Allegro.
Allegro is Italian for “fast.”

When the piece is to be played slowly,

the tempo word is Adagio.

When the piece is to be played at a

medium speed, the tempo is referred to
as Moderato.

The tempo is always written at the beginning of the piece and might
change somewhere in the middle, so stay alert.

From slow to fast, we have the following tempo markings:

10 Level 1
Let’s practice

To start off, let’s practice playing with dynamics. Before you play all of
these exercises, take a look at the rhythms. You’ll notice that there are no
counts above the notes. It is up to you to count while you play. Try
counting out loud, and then work towards counting in your head.

a)

b)

Next, we will work on the tempo. Remember the different terms for slow,
medium and fast.

c)

11 Level 1
d)

Now we will combine both dynamics and tempo together.

e)

f)

Did you notice both of those exercises were the same rhythms, but the tempo
changed how it sounded? The same will happen for the next two examples. This
time, the tempo will only be slightly different but the dynamics will change.

g)

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h)

This next exercise is very slow, and has long notes and rests. Try to keep the
same speed for all the counts. You will also have to figure out the stickings
for yourself.

i)

j)

Great work! Continue to practice these different dynamics and tempos in

all the lessons that follow.

13 Level 1
 Lesson 1.5 – Playing Duets

Part of the fun in making music is playing songs with lots of people. When
we play in a band, there are several different parts that combine together
to make the correct sound. In this lesson, we are going to work on reading
different parts at the same time.

Most of the time, you’ll have your own part on a separate page that you
have to read and count without being able to follow the other parts. This
takes a lot of concentration and counting.

When playing duets, we want to see our own part and the other part at
the same time. This will help us to avoid getting lost, stay together, and be
aware of what the other person is playing.

Look below to see the two parts one above the other.

14 Level 1
Let’s practice
Let’s split up into groups 1 and 2. Follow and count the staff you’re assigned to
play.

a) 1

b) 1

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The next two exercises are going to be slightly more complicated. The
rests are just as important as the notes. Remember to look at the dynamics
and tempo before starting.

c) 1

d) 1

16 Level 1
 Level 1 Wrap-up

To finish Level 1, we will take a look at most of the material we have

learned throughout this book. We must remember all of the values for
notes and rests, how to hold the sticks, and what the written tempo and
dynamics are for each exercise. With all of these in mind, you are now
ready to play in a band!

a)

b)

17 Level 1