Genesis Front Ensemble

Approach, Technique,
and Exercises
Approach

Sound must always come first.

Technique is simply a proven pathway to a good sound. The technique presented here
is not the only pathway to good sound, but it will guide you to balancing and blending with your
fellow front ensemble members in any musical situation you might encounter.
Our goal is to balance articulation with resonance for the ultimate goal of clarity.

Articulation and Resonance

The speed of our stroke determines the intensity of the transient or initial strike,
creating a sharper or duller articulation.
The weight of the stroke determines how much of the key is activated and how
resonant your sound will be. Heavier strokes with a soft hand create the most resonant
sound on a keyboard instrument. Overplaying a key will choke the sound, so there is a
point of diminishing returns with stroke weight.

Weight Transfer
The concept of weight transfer is fundamental to producing sound on a
keyboard instrument. The mass of your forearm and hand is transferred into the key
through the lever of the mallet. This is not to say that you need to play with any great
deal of arm in your stroke, but that you should be aware of the muscle activation in your
forearm while you strike the key. Increasing that muscle activation will increase the
weight that is transferred into the key.

Posture
Players should stand behind the instrument with feet shoulder width apart, and
their shoulders, knees, and elbows relaxed. Your elbow should be in line with your body,
your arms should be about parallel to the floor, and your hips should be parallel to the
keyboard. You should stand far enough from the keyboard such that when extended,
the center of the mallet head strikes the center of the key you wish to hit. This will put
you about a foot from the keyboard.

Footwork
Avoid crossing your feet. You should step sideways as you move around the
keyboard, with your feet moving closer and further together, but never crossing.
Technique

Two Mallets
Grip
The stick is situated diagonally across the band such
that the front of the mallet leaves the hand at the last joint of
the index finger and the back of the mallet leaves the hand
at the head line of the palm.
You should hold the mallet at the bottom third of the
shaft, such that about an inch of the mallet is leaving the
back of the hand.
Your fingers should wrap gently around the mallet
with the tip of your pinky and ring fingers touching your
palm. Depending on your hand shape, your middle finger
may or may not touch your palm, and your index finger
should be open and relaxed.
Even pressure needs to be applied from each finger
such that the mallet is secure, but not choked. The goal is to
maintain contact with the mallet without exerting unneeded
pressure on the mallet and introducing tension into the
technique. As you will hear many times, tension is the
enemy of good sound.

Hand position
When the mallet is parallel to the board, the
knuckle of the index finger should be the highest point in
the hand. The thumb nail should be pointing inward and
slightly up.
Your wrists should be as low to the keyboard as
possible without mallet shafts unintentionally striking the
keyboard.
When parallel to the keyboard the mallets should
meet each other at slightly less than 90 degrees.

Instrument Height
When the elbows, forearms, wrists, and hands are in the correct and most
comfortable position, and the mallets are parallel to the ground, the keyboard should be
about a half an inch below the mallet head.
Vertical Motion
When striking the key, we play with our whole hand, where the rotational axis is
the middle of the hand, just behind the first joint of the thumb. Your approach to vertical
motion determines articulation, dynamics, and rhythms. Your approach to horizontal and
sagittal motion determines your pitch and beating spot accuracy.

Piston Stroke
This is the basis of all stroke types. There may be times that we ask you
to adjust your technique for the particular musical situation, but you will be
adjusting from this home base.
In a piston stroke, the mallet goes down to strike the key and back up to
the top of the stroke in one continuous motion.
The hand and wrist should be completely relaxed at the point of contact
with the key and immediately return to the top of the stroke.

Horizontal and Sagittal Motion (Shifting)

Music generally contains more than just one note so we have to manage how we
travel to those notes. Horizontal motion concerns how we move from side to side, or
higher and lower on the keyboard, and sagittal motion concerns how our hands move
closer and further from us, between the upper and lower manuals on the keyboard.
When moving, the forearm should remain parallel to the ground, and the angle
between the hand and the forearm should remain the same.
After striking one key, you should move directly to the playing position above
the next note you intend to play. This concept is called shifting and allows you to
recover each stroke and prepare for the next simultaneously.

Beating Spots
You should strike the key either in the center of the bar, or the very edge. For the
low range of the marimba, the best tone is found slightly off center.
 Four Mallets
Grip
We use Steven's technique for all keyboard instruments in the front ensemble.
For this grip, your hand should be situated such that your forearm is parallel to the floor
and your thumb nail is parallel to the ceiling.
In this grip, mallets are ordered 1, 2, 3, 4 from left to right, and the inside mallets
are those held with your middle finger, index finger, and thumb, while the outside mallet
is secured by the ring finger and pinky.
This is an independent grip, where the parts of the hand that secure one mallet
do not interact with the other, and the motion of one mallet does not have to affect the
other.

Outside Mallet
The mallet is held between the middle and ring fingers and secured by
your pinky and ring finger. Your hand should be relaxed, the mallet should hang
in this position, not be squeezed. Only about a ¼ inch of the mallet should
protrude past your pinky.
Inside Mallet
The inside mallet is balanced between the center of the palm and the last
joint of the index finger. The middle finger will curl towards the palm to secure
the end of the mallet. The thumb will drop onto the handle, making a cross
shape with the index finger. (This is called your perch.)

Check for the following details:

1. Your hand and fingers should be relaxed,
gently curving around the mallet.
2. Your mallets should hang in your hand,
you should not be expanding energy to
keep the mallets in place. Holding the
mallets correctly should be almost
effortless.
3. Mallet heads should be the same height
and the inside mallet will extend about a
half inch further than outside when they
are held at a second.
Changing Intervals
You will have to change the distance between the mallets while playing. To do
this, roll the inside mallet along the index finger using the thumb, and allow the butt of
the mallet to track along the hand. At wider intervals, the butt will be closer to the
fingers, and at smaller intervals, closer to the wrist. It is essential that the middle finger
is relaxed and flexible to allow the mallet to move.

Stroke Types
Double Vertical
For double vertical strokes, both mallets strike the key and return to
playing position. You should maintain a consistent hand shape, turn your wrist,
and strike the key with a piston stroke motion. Mallets need to match at the
same height throughout the stroke.
Single Independent
For single independent strokes, one mallet strikes a key rotating on the
axis of the other mallet For the outside mallet, think about the knuckles following
one another, turning the inside mallet like a key, For the inside mallet, think
about the thumb rotating up and down, with the whole hand rotating around the
outside mallet. You will rotate from the forearm, similar to traditional grip on
snare drum.
The non-playing mallet should be mostly unaffected by the motion of
the playing mallet.
Alternating Strokes
This stroke type is related to a single independent stroke and you should
train this motion with single independent strokes. Your mallets will oscillate
between inside and outside mallet striking the key in a “bouncy” motion. Avoid a
tense “seesaw” motion. The downward motion of one mallet raises and recovers
the stroke of the other mallet. Think about turning a doorknob back and forth.
Lateral Strokes
The lateral stroke begins its life as a double vertical stroke. While sending
both mallets downward towards the key, you will rotate the hand so that one
mallet strikes the key before the other. After this initial strike, bring the weight of
the arm down so that the second mallet strikes the key with equal force to the
first. Both mallets will then return to the top of the stroke. True lateral strokes are
dependent on tempo and only function when the two notes are within rapid
succession.
Inside Mallet Playing
Often you will play single line passages with the two inside mallets. For
these situations you will use alternating single independent strokes. However,
you can give yourself a larger range of motion by dropping the outside mallets
below the playing position of the inside mallets.
The outside mallets should be one dynamic level lower than the inside mallets.
 Exercises

1. Dynamic Changes
○ Focus: Dynamics, hand posture, mallet blend, and ensemble blend
○ This exercise focuses specifically on dynamics. It is strongly advised to practice
in front of a mirror for visual reference points at each dynamic level. At section A,
dynamic changes are subito; section B features crescendos and decrescendos.
Be prepared to play with 2 and 4 mallets (inner mallets and block chords).
○ Tempo: 60-160 bpm.
2. Jedi 8’s (Octave C)
○ Focus: Piston strokes and timing
○ This exercise emphasizes consistent piston strokes and timing by focusing on a
single note. Avoid lifting the mallet before each note, ensuring the mallet starts
and ends in the same position.
○ Tempo: 40-150 bpm.
3. Lockjaw
○ All Major Keys
○ Focus: Scale uniformity, dynamics, hand-to-hand coordination
○ This hands-together exercise strengthens scale uniformity, dynamics, and
synchronization. Aim to avoid flams and keep both hands at the same height.
Prepare in all 12 major keys with both 2 and 4 mallets (inside mallets).
○ Tempo: 80-160 bpm.
4. Chromatic Up, Major Down
○ Focus: Scales, dynamics, hand speed
○ This exercise alternates chromatic and major scales to develop uniform
technique and dynamics. Practice with counts in between scales or continuously
without pauses. Prepare in all 12 major keys, with 2 and 4 mallets (inside
mallets).
○ Tempo: 80-172 bpm.
5. Green 1, 1A, 456 Green
○ Focus: Scales, dynamics, listening, hand speed
○ These exercises address scales, dynamics, listening, and hand speed changes.
Avoid mallet offsetting, aiming to strike the same spot on each key, and maintain
upstrokes for clean transitions. Rhythmic accuracy is a high priority across
Lessons 1A and 456 Green.
■ Lesson 1
● Tempo: 60-160+ bpm
● All Major Keys
■ Lesson 1A
● Tempo: 60-100 bpm
● All Major Keys
■ 456 Green
● Tempo: 84-120 bpm
● C, F, Bb Major Only
 6. OG Blocks
○ Focus: Double vertical stroke, chord shifts
○ This exercise emphasizes double vertical strokes. Ensure all four mallets stay in
plane, maintaining consistent sound quality on accidental and natural keys. We
play this at all heights and with variable heights to focus on ensemble listening
skills.
○ Tempo: 90-130 bpm.
7. DVAI
○ Focus: Double verticals, single independents
○ DVAI works on double vertical and single independent strokes within an
eighth-note framework. The tacet mallets should remain stationary, even as the
playing mallet moves.
○ Tempo: 80-130 bpm.
8. Small/Large Interval Changes
○ Focus: Interval adjustment during upstroke
○ This exercise addresses interval changes within double vertical strokes, aiming
to maintain the same stroke mechanics. Make interval adjustments during the
upstroke to form a “checkmark” motion toward the next note.
○ Tempo: 80-130 bpm.
9. 16th Note Broccoli and Triplet Broccoli
○ Focus: Single independents and double verticals
○ This exercise, including triplet broccoli, strengthens single independent strokes
and double verticals. Keep all four mallets starting and ending in the up position,
avoiding flams and maintaining plane alignment throughout the stroke.
■ 16th Note Broccoli
● Tempo: 60-120+ bpm
■ Triplet Broccoli
● Tempo: 60-110+ bpm

Always practice with a metronome. Use a mirror if you can, and record yourself so you
can listen back. It is almost impossible to hear yourself and work on your technique at the same
time.
 Dynamics

                          
                         
A

 - 3"  - 6"

                        
                        
5

 - 9"  - 12"

                        
            
9

 - 15" 

                         
            
13

 

                         
            
17
B

  


                         
           
21

 

                        
            
25

 

                         
            
29

 
 Jedi 8's

ι ι ι ι
Jedi

% 33 œœ Œ Ó ‰ ŒÓ ŒœÓ
œ œ œ œ œ œ
Œ ‰ Ó Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ ‰ Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ ‰ −−
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

ι ι ι ι
Two Notes

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
% œ œ Œ Ó ‰ œ œ Ó Œ œ œ Ó Œ ‰ œ œ Œ Œ Œ œ œ Œ Œ Œ ‰ œ œ Œ Œ Œ œ œ œ Œ Œ ‰ œ −−
9

ι ι ι ι
Quarter Notes

% œœ œœ Ó œ œ
‰ ‰ Ó Œ œ œ œ œ
Œ Œ‰ ‰ Œ Œ Œ œ œ œ
ŒŒ‰ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ
Œ Œ ‰ Œ Œ ‰ −−
17

œ œ œœ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ

©
 Lockjaw

            
                

                        
       

1. Lockjaw should be prepared in all major and natural minor keys

2. Prepare at the following tempos: 80-160 bpm
3. Prepare at the following heights 9in inches0: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15
4. This exercuse is used as a focus on scales while working on isolated hand strokes, multiple
heights, and moving in and out of double stops. It also serves as one of our strongest tools in
establishing the basics of our ensemble approach.

 
                                                              
Chromatic Up/Major Down

         

                     
  

1. Chromatic Up/Major (minor) Down should be prepared with all descending (8th Note) scales taking on the key
signature of the relative major or natural minor keys.
2. Prepare the following tempos: 80-172 bpm.
3. Prepare at the following heigts (in inches): 3, 6, 9, 12, 15
 Green and Variations

  

A

  

Lesson 1 - All Major and Minor Keys

      
4

                                          
7
B Lesson 1A - All Major and Minor Keys

             

10


                                        
12
C 456 Green - Prepare in C, F, and Bb Major
5 5

                            
15 5 6 6 6 5

5 5
 Blocks

                       
            












                 
                

                       
                 
                        

      
5

       
  
               
        

                 
9
 DVAI

  
   
             
 

                          
                           
6

         
                                
A

        
11

                                            

                                             
16

                         

                  
B

                      
21

                                        
                                         
26
 Small/Large Interval Changes

                              


                              
5

                            
                              
9

                            
                              
13

                              
17

                            

                            
                              
21

                   
 16th Note Broccoli

           
         
       

            

     
       
3

            

     
  
A

         
6

           

            
          

9

             
B

            
         
12

   

               
             
15

   
         
                
C

            
18

   
              
       
21

      

   

24

    
 Triplet Broccoli

           
                     
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

           
 
                         
L 3 4 ... 3 4 1 ... R 1 2 ...

          
2


3 3 3 3


4

3 3 3 3 3 3
4 2 3 ... 3 3
sim.

   
1

       
                  
A

     
7

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

        
R 2 1 ... 3 4 1 ... L 4 3 ...

    
                           
2
3 3 3 3 3 3
10 3 3

   
3 3 3 3
4 3 2 ...
1

   
                              
13
B 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

       

        
L 3 4 3 4 1 R 1 2 4 2 3

       
  
                   
2 3 1
3 3 3
16

   
                            
3 3 3 3 3
3 3 3
C

      
19

3 3 3 3

       
3 3 3 3


3 3 3 3

   
                         
R 2 1 3 4 1 L 4 3 4 3 2
2 1 3 3 3 3
22 3 3 3 3

     
3 3 3 3
 Drum Set Grooves

Rock/Funk
                               
              

                               
                            

Swing

                   
Basic Ride Cross-stick Shuffle

     

Brazillian

                              
Samba Bossa Nova

  
                      

Afro-Cuban


  
Rumba

                  
Bembé

             
Individual Audition

In your individual audition you will be asked to

play:
1. Any exercises contained within this packet at
the range of tempos provided.
2. An excerpt from last year’s show. (The Fonz
Top-C).
3. (Optional) Any solo work that you believe
represents your ability. Please keep this to
under 3 minutes. A portion of a longer work is
acceptable.
 SFX & Synth
The Fonz
Arranged and Orchestrated by TIMOTHY LEONELLI, MM / JONATHAN ANDERSON
q = 180 B
4 ∑ 3 ∑ 4 #œ Œ Ó 3 ∑ 4 ∑ 3 ∑ 4
SFX / 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

4œ œ œ™ œ 3œ œ œ™ 4œ œ œ™ œ 3œ œ œ™
Percussive Lead
? bb 4 3 4
{
Synthesizer 4 ∑ 4 ∑ 4 J 4J 4 J 4J 4
mp mf
0 0 1 2 3 4

A
4 ∑ 3 ∑ 4 ∑ 3 ∑ 4 ∑ 3 ∑ 4
SFX / 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
œ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ™
? bb 4 J 3 J 4 ˙ ˙ 3 œ œ ˙ 4 3 4
Synth. { 4 4 4 ˙ ˙ 4 œ œ ˙ 4 œ œ œ œ œ 4 œj œ œ œj 4
f ff
5 6 7 8 9 10
ff

4 ∑ 3 ∑ 4 ∑ 3 ∑ 4 ∑ 3 ∑ 4
SFX / 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

? b4 3 j j4 œ œ 43 œj œ œ j4 3 j j4
{ b 4 œ œ œ œœ 4 œ œ œ œ 4 œ œœ
œ
œ 4 œ œœ œ œ œ 4 œ œœ
œ
œ 4
œ œ œ 14 œ œ œ
Synth.
11 œ œ œ œ œ 12 œ œ œ œ 13 œ œ œ 15 œ œ œ 16 œ
œ
œ
f

B
4 ∑ 3 ∑ 4 ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑
/ 4 4 4

{
SFX

b4 3 4
&b 4 ∑ 4 ∑ 4 ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑

? bb 44 3 j j 4
Synth.
j
œ œ œœ œ ™ œ Œ Ó
œ œ œ ∑
œ œ œ œ 4 œ œœ œ 4 œ œœ œ œ œ
Ϫ
œ œ œ œ œœ
œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ
17 18 19 20 21 22
ff

C
/

{
SFX

b
&b
Synth.
? bb
23

Copyright © 2024 T.LEO. Music

T.LEO. Music Inc.
Drum Set

Duration Approx. 2:15'

The Fonz
April 28th, 2024 Arranged and Orchestrated by TIMOTHY LEONELLI, MM / JONATHAN ANDERSON

4 ¿ ¿ ¿ ™ ¿J 3 ¿J ¿ ¿ ™ 4 ¿ ¿ ¿ ™ ¿J 3 ¿J ¿ ¿ ™ 4 ¿ ¿ ¿ ™ ¿J 3 ¿J ¿ ¿ ™ 4
q = 180
4 3
Ride

/4 ∑ 4 ∑ 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
mp
0 0 1

¿j ‰ ‰ j ‰ ¿j
Crash/China Etc.. A Hi-Hat ¯ +
¿ +¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿¯ ¿+j ¿¯ ¿+j ¿¯ ¿+ ¿ ¿¯ ¿+ ¿ ¯ +j ¯ +j
4 ¿ ¿ ¿ 3 j 4 3 4 3 ¿ ¿ ¿œ ¿ 4
/ 4 œ œ œ ‰ ‰ œJ 4 ‰ œ ‰ œœ œœ œœ 4 œ œ œ œ œ 4 ‰ œ ‰ œJ ‰ œ 4 œ œ œ œ œ 4 ‰ œJ ‰ J ‰ œJ 4
J J J J
7 ff p ff mf
¯ + ¯ + ¯ +j ¯ +j ¯ + ¯ + ¯ +j ¯ +j ¯ + ¯ + ¯ +j ¯ +j
4¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿3 ¿ ¿ ¿œ ¿ 4 ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿œ ¿ ¿ 3 ¿ ¿ ¿œ ¿ 4 ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿œ ¿ ¿ 3 ¿ ¿ ¿œ ¿ 4
/ 4 œ œ œ œœ 4 ‰ œJ ‰ J ‰ œJ 4 œ œ œœ 4 ‰ œJ ‰ J ‰ œJ 4 œ œ œœ4 ‰ œJ ‰ J ‰ œJ 4

Y j ¿™
™
13

¿ Œ ¿ Œ Ó
B C
¿
4 œ œ œ™ œ œ ¿™
œ œ >
/4œ œ™ œ Ó ‰ 7œ ‹
‰Jœ œ œ Œ Ó J
19 ff

Copyright © 2024 T.LEO. Music

T.LEO. Music Inc.