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to the Performer
Most of these pieces are written to be songs for the snare drum. They were written
on a 14x6 concert snare and 14x14 marching snare, but can be played on many different
types of drums. I imagined XIV and XV on a rope drum. XI and XVI may sound better on a
smaller piccolo snare. Many of these solos such as IX, X, and XV can have a kick drum
accompaniment on each downbeat.
Solos IX, X, and XV are all great standalone pieces that contain many thematic
elements. Pay close attention to stickings and rudiments, as they may return in various
contexts throughout the piece.
XII is meant to be an homage to Bob Becker’s playing and composition style. I
suggest looking up a youtube performance of Mudra f or a better explanation of how the
snare drum should look and sound. Don’t worry too hard about keeping extremely low
taps‐ low and comfortability should take the front seat in this solo.
XIII and XIV are meant to be more theme‐and‐variation based. They offer many
opportunities to iterate themes in different ways and styles. Make sure you can convey the
variation in an obvious, clear way visually and musically
XI and XVI provide much opportunity to visually enhance your performance, with
notes to help. In these solos, it helps greatly to play with a “showy” style that appears fun,
relaxed, and cool.
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