Any percussionists on DW!

DrummerMic

Member
Hey DW,
I've been reading so many drum posts lately that I've realized the lack of percussion posts; there are virtually zero posts that cover percussion outside of the drum set. I was wondering, how many of you guys play orchestral and/or ethnic percussion as well as drums set?
Just interested; not trying to sound grumpy. :)
 
I did percussion in HS and college too, and play a bit of piano as well. I have congas too. But none good enough to actually get a gig with, that's why I talk about regular drumset playing more.
 
I have actually been more in demand for percussion over the last year than drums. I actually played congas and cajon alongside a very talented local singer/songwriter for a benefit concert this past Saturday. I'm probably no Alex Acuña, but I get a groove going behind an acoustic guitar and that works for me and them.
 
Wow guys. This is cool! It turns out all the awesome drummers are percussionists as well! Anybody play marimba?
 
Oh, you must have the wrong forum. You likely were looking for the "cant-hack-it-as-a-real-drummer world" forum.




Just kidding. I love my cajon, and my bongos. There's probably literally no surface in my house that I haven't hit for tonal qualities and "played" beats on. I think I can qualify as a percussionist, too.
 
I'm halfway through my bachelors degree in classical percussion as we type (interwebs version of "as we speak"). Playing a 30min solo concert on monday next week. I could publish a video of it on this forum, if there's any interest :) In addition I play drum set regularly in a few bands in town. I've also played percussion in some big band projects, both in school and elsewhere.
 
I teach Japanese taiko - wouldn't know my way from one end of a drum kit to another.

It's how I make my living. Slowly turning me deaf, but with a smile.
 
I played classical percussion in HS, college, semi pro for a while. I don't play drum set, but I had a Luddy set at one time. Still like rudimental studies on snare, getting into rope drums, love bongos and other Latin styles, and I played a Deagan Bandmaster marimba and Deagan vibes at one time.
 
In the 60's and early 70's I was studying vibes somewhat seriously. Gary Burton's albums
"Duster" and "Lofty Fake Anagram" had caught my ear. By 1972 I studied one year with
the Black Earth Percussion Group. Still, with rare exception, my gigs were on drumset.
There have been brief periods over the years where I have played percussion and 2 years
ago I assembled a "percussion drumset" to play world music with. I played a lot of gigs with it but eventually it was just too much stuff to haul...well, more than I cared to...and have returned to a small 4 piece set. I love hand drums and play with hands, brushes and sticks
on my set.
 
This might be a dumb question, but are vibes actually considered a percussive instrument?
I'd look at them more like being a keyboard- type of instrument that you play with some other than your fingers, no?


On topic, I played some rhythm sticks and some shekere for a few years with a local afrobeat band. Tried my hands on some congas too but I found that stuff to be pretty difficult to get sounding right
 
This might be a dumb question, but are vibes actually considered a percussive instrument?
I'd look at them more like being a keyboard- type of instrument that you play with some other than your fingers, no?

It is definitely a percussion instrument. A piano is considered a percussion and a string instrument, because the mallet strike causes the sound (percussion), but the string vibrating is what you primarily hear (String).
 
This might be a dumb question, but are vibes actually considered a percussive instrument?
I'd look at them more like being a keyboard- type of instrument that you play with some other than your fingers, no?

The bar you strike is where the sound comes from, thus it is percussion.

Same for all the bells, Xylophone, and marimbas.
 
I'm more percussionist than drummer. I enjoy the drums, but half the reason I play is that there are potentially more opportunities to play them.

In high school, I played percussion in the concert band and drums in the jazz band. I focused mostly on marimba and percussion ensemble in college. I spent the last few summers helping instruct the frontline percussion of a high school marching band. I moved to a different city and now I'm playing percussion in a community band, looking for gigs on drums, and not having much success talking myself out of buying a marimba.
 
My gig last Friday was accompanying an acoustic guitarist/singer/songwriter mainly on djembe along with other bits and pieces of percussion instruments. It was just the two of us playing. I enjoy mixing it up every now then although I prefer playing the kit.

By the way, I know there is no love for wind chimes (bar chimes to be correct) on DW, but they were a hit at this gig when I used them in a few eerie/moody songs. I heard a lady go "oh, beautiful" during a song and then while I was packing up, a couple walked up to me and commented on the chimes.

Back to percussionists on DW...
 
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