For all you keyboard percussionists

randrade89

Senior Member
I have one question since I am starting to study music in a conservatory. I notice some marimba or xylophone sheet music has rolls indicated, (for example the very first exercises in the morris goldenberg book) What value am I supposed to give these notes? 32nd notes? or 32nd note triplets? Or just whatever I like? Thanks and sorry for my english.
 
Generally speaking, the roll on mallets (like timpani) is your long-tone. It's usually not a metered roll. Think of a snare roll in an orchestra, trying to imitate the sound of tearing paper slowly. That smooth legato sound is a real challenge with staccatto percussion instruments.
 
You should hold every roll the full value of the note.
 
It's a matter of convenience, situation and musicality. Generally picking a value that feels and sounds good is best, although for instance in a solo if you're heavily phrasing a section, varying your roll speed can be a very effective method.

Also remember the instrument on which you're playing: on a marimba the low rolls require fewer notes due to the natural resonance, vs the dryer high octaves which require more. Xylophone will of course require more than marimba, and vibes and glockenspiel aren't usually rolled at all.
 
I wish I could find the link to post but I saw one of the drumline snare lads, Jeff Queen I think say that rolls of that type are somewhat determined by the the time of the music. Not the time signature but the Tempo. A slower song requires slower double strokes that may sound like 32nd note and a faster song requires even faster double strokes. Sorry if this is confusing but he demonstrated the effect and it sounded perfect.
 
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... A slower song requires slower double strokes that may sound like 32nd note and a faster song requires even faster double strokes. Sorry if this is confusing but he demonstrated the effect and it sounded perfect.

Yes, but that does not go for mallet percussion. You will not be rolling using double strokes or buzzes on marimba. Hauk was correct when he said, "Also remember the instrument on which you're playing: on a marimba the low rolls require fewer notes due to the natural resonance, vs the dryer high octaves which require more. Xylophone will of course require more than marimba..."

Check out this video from the Vic Firth website.
http://vicfirth.com/education/percussion101/keyboard5.html

The tympani roll is also something that requires sensitivity, similar to what is required for marimba.
http://vicfirth.com/education/percussion101/timpani5.html

Jeff
 
Generally not metered rolls. It's similar to tympani rolls; slower on low notes than high ones. Basically whatever feels right within the song.

Now there ARE marimba pieces where rolls have note values. Usually with those they use a "Z" for the unmetered roll (like a buzz roll on a drum) and the slash roll notation for note values, where one slash is 2x the note, two is 4x, three is 8x, etc. (again, just like rudimental drum notation). Pretty rare though, and there's usually a composer's note in the score to clarify these.

I've also seen marimba rolls using dots underneath to show the subdivision, so for example a quarter note roll with 4 dots = 16th notes, one with 8 dots = 32nd notes, etc.

But unless specified, they are unmetered and played to best fit the song.
 
Yes, but that does not go for mallet percussion. You will not be rolling using double strokes or buzzes on marimba. Hauk was correct when he said, "Also remember the instrument on which you're playing: on a marimba the low rolls require fewer notes due to the natural resonance, vs the dryer high octaves which require more. Xylophone will of course require more than marimba..."

Check out this video from the Vic Firth website.
http://vicfirth.com/education/percussion101/keyboard5.html

The tympani roll is also something that requires sensitivity, similar to what is required for marimba.
http://vicfirth.com/education/percussion101/timpani5.html

Jeff

Thanks for the lesson Jeff.
 
On an instrument such as the Xylo, for me, it really depends on the tempo of the song, you mentioned thinking in terms of 32nd trips or straight 32nds. This all depends on the feel and tempo of the song, I usually used 32nd not triplets on something like a marimba, where it is more resonant, and straight 32nds on say the Xylo. But as long as your holding out the full value of the note, this is a pretty tough call.
 
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