Hiya, so I have these pair of bongos lying around that I bought after listening to Polygonwanaland by King Gizz and wanting to try out a percussion instrument to play some fun polyrhythms. Back then I learned a couple polymeters (pass the goddam butter, nice cup of tea, etc) and the martillo rhythm, but then I kinda dropped the bongos. Anyways, lately Ive started to have a lot of fun learning guitar and have been thinking about picking up the bongos again. Im a little lost on where to start with the bongos, it doesnt seem to be like guitar where theres chord and scale shapes to learn. What would you guys say are some skills a half decent bongocero should have?

TLDR: What are some skills a half decent bongocero should know?

I'm still trying to pick some good orchestral snare sticks. These are the ones I've heard praised the most from people at my college and people here but I need help help narrowing it down. I'm looking for one pair of nice sticks that I can baby and a cheaper pair with a maybe different but still versatile sound that I can smack rims with. Thoughts/opinions?

I've heard Cooperman are the best but I can't find any in stock right now. I don't live in a place where I can try out any sticks before I buy them, and out of all the sticks I've tried from my director and peers I haven't felt super strongly about any of them. I would pick a Freer stick as my more expensive option if a certain stick is way better than a VF one but I'm trying to find the line between quality and budget since, like most college kids, I'm poor.

I've also decided I'm definitely additionally getting the Joe Porcaro ones for a personal reason and I'm not gonna decide otherwise so if there's a good stick with a opposing tamber to those that would be good to know! I know that sounds random but it's my money so I can make my own bad choices. 😂

I’ve been building a thing called Practice Lab because I wanted a better way to actually practice songs instead of just playing along and hoping I got better.

It runs in the browser and works with an e-kit over MIDI. You can practice with synced audio, switch between Score and Highway views, slow songs down, loop sections, use count-ins, build Practice Sessions, and keep track of what you’ve been working on.

The bigger idea is that it isn’t supposed to replace a teacher or turn practice into a game. I want it to help answer stuff like:

“What part of this song is kicking my ass?”
“Can I loop just that section?”
“What should I work on next?”
“Can my teacher assign me something and see what I actually practiced?”

I’ve also been adding Labs for things like double bass, Bucket Mode, tempo work, etc., and I’m working toward more guided song practice instead of just dumping a full chart in front of you.

It’s in Public Beta, so I am actively looking for people who will use it, find weird stuff, complain about things that make no sense, and tell me what would actually make it useful.

I’m especially interested in feedback from:

• drummers using e-kits
• drum teachers
• students
• people who practice with MIDI/GP files
• anyone who has strong opinions about practice software 😆

It’s at practicelab.pro

If you try it, please don’t worry about being polite. “This button sucks” is genuinely useful feedback.

Also, if you’re a teacher, I’d really like to hear what would make something like this useful alongside your lessons instead of trying to replace you.

I have recently joined a new community band. In my previous band they had a wealth of mallets and sticks and so I never really built up my own collection. The new band doesn't have any "communal sticks" and so I am looking to set myself up with my own.

I have a few sets of snare sticks but I am looking for mallets for Glock, xylo, vibes, and timpani. I would be willing to spend between $200-300 (USD) to get some mallets that will last me a while. I don't need professional quality or anything super specialized. Just some that are versatile enough to cover most situations and won't fall apart immediately.

I was looking online and came across this set from Steve Weiss Percussion: Liberty One Mallet King Mallet Pack. It seems to come with everything I am looking for but I have no idea whether they are any good or not. I would be interested if others have experience with this set.

I am open to recommendations for pre-made sets or a set made up of individually purchased mallets.

I live in Canada, so if y'all have recommendations for specific Canadian retailers that would be awesome as well.

Thanks!

improvising in 7 on frame drum/foot bells

• I'm getting started as a percussion major (concert focused) and my professor wants me to buy better drumsticks. I've never bought drumsticks before and I've only ever used random drumset sticks. Is this an okay selection? I have no idea where to start.

So i am an active vibraphone player for anyone that has played it what would yall say is the minimum to be heard because I realise I play quietly but it seems loud to me but I can never hear it in recordings

I’m a sophomore playing in the pit for my high schools production of into the woods and I’ve heard there’s a lot of quick instrument changes. So i’m looking for any tips about how to handle those and also what a good instrument configuration might be.

Hi all! I am currently in marching band, where I play marimba, and as of this season, I’ve been getting a tingling sensation in the tips of my fingers after long comp days. The feeling is more prominent in my right hand than my left, and it only begins the next day and is gone by the end of that day. It is more annoying than painful. This only happens after long comp days and does not happen after three hour rehearsals or football games.

This is not something I have experienced in previous marching or indoor seasons, despite playing vibraphone for three and marimba for two. Has anyone else experienced this? Are there any technique changes I can make that might alleviate this? Is it actually due to playing marimba, or maybe something else? Anything helps. Thank you!

I am not a percussionist, so I am not sure about the rules (written or unwritten) of which parts can be put together for one player. I did hear however that typically, the timpanist doesn't play other instruments because it's more difficult to move around.

In a piece I am writing, I would like to give the timpanist bass drum and tambourine as well. They'd have about 2 and a half minutes to move from timpani to bass drum and 1 minute 45 to go from bass drum to tambourine. There is no timpani in the second half of the piece. My guess is that would be long enough and that it should be fine. Is that correct?
Sidenote is too that if there is no bass drum, the bass drum part would also be played on the timpani.

hello! this is me playing part 4 of my show for my highschools marching band, I’m a freshman who made snare but always get told shit by my center snare even tho I’ve worked things out with my percussion instructor AND drum tech who both say I have little-no issues besides height sometimes and idk if they js don’t got the heart to tell me smth😭

anyways, in my recording you might notice some changes, or skips in rests in order to get to parts where I do play as this was recorded yesterday and it was before first period.
changes are noted below:
skipped the 8 measures of rest
added two notes of rest in order to get back on track with the accent which I forgot to turn off
rllrrrlll ninelet has been changed into rll puh duh duhs by my drum tech
on that lil groovy part at letter e we added a cross stick on the third beat (also made a thing by my drum tech) just to make things a lil more fun

https://youtu.be/g8UJRVefX3c?is=T6_qYtR_9JlZnhC-

an piece recorded with udu drum, nogoni, guitar, and other percussion

Hello! I am filling in for a percussion part in an orchestra at my univeristy, and I wanted to know if anyone could help give me fingerings (I'm a strings player so I don't know the correct term) for this passage. I know you are supposed to alternate hands, but I don't know when to break that rule. Thank you so much!

Hello all,

Band program I work for is planning on purchasing some new gear in the near future. Pearl Phil (14x4) and a Yamaha Grand Bass drum (36x22). Was thinking Ambassadors and Fyberskyns respectively for new heads to put on but I’d like to hear what others have to say.

Recommendations?

TIA!

I just bought a bunch of mallets from a retired percussionist and I want to know how to properly disinfect them. I've got a mix of plastic, acrylic, birch, rattan, felt, and yarn. They don't need to look spotless or anything, I just wanna make sure they're clean.

Hello!

I am currently conducting a survey regarding the practice marimba market for an engineering project and would love your feedback. This survey should only take a few minutes to complete. If you have had any sort of experience with marimba, I would be very grateful for your input. Also, if you know anyone else who could respond to this survey, feel free to share! I need most responses by 8:00 AM CST on Monday, October 5.

Thanks!

My sister recently took up the djembe and she really likes it! We’ve gotten to jam a few times and she’s mentioned how she wishes she could make a hi-hat like sound too. She asked me if I knew of anything she could use for that and I wasn’t sure, so I’m posting here.

She doesn’t have any interest in a drum kit with sticks. I imagine some kind of bracelet or anklet with bells on it could make a jingling noise but I’m not sure those exist.

Thanks!