Keyboard
Mallet Technique
Episode
II - Double Strokes
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Double
strokes on keyboards can look and sound great; however, they
can be deceptively difficult to perform! Composers and
arrangers often write double strokes to add velocity or to
line them up with another instrument playing that same
figure. Teaching and learning to play them properly takes
patience and time. In this article you will, hopefully, pick
up some helpful hints for playing better doubles!
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One
of the main points to realize is that playing double
strokes on a keyboard instrument is different than
playing them on a snare drum. When playing on a
keyboard, you have two things working against you.
First, the keyboard bar does not have the rebound that a
plastic head has. Secondly, a keyboard mallet is much
more top heavy than a snare stick. |
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Because
of these facts your use of fingers and wrists, in your
strokes, will be altered in comparison to playing on a
snare. When playing on a keyboard, your use of your
wrists plays a much greater role than when playing on
a snare drum. You will still use a little bit of your
fingers, but you must use more of your wrists to help
your mallet rebound off of the bar. A good concept to
think about is what I like to call “lift”. Don’t
think of playing down or into the bar. Always think of
up and away from the bar. This will help you to
achieve even-sounding doubles. As always, have control
of the mallet but don’t grip too hard.
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It
is also important to keep your wrists low to
the keyboard.
Using proper keyboard technique is of
vital importance while playing your double
strokes. For more information on this, refer
to my article in the October 2000 issue of
Staff Notes. You should not look like you are
tossing a salad behind the mallet instrument!
It should all look and feel natural. After a
while you will feel like you don’t have to
work so hard to play them! |
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The
most important note of the double
stroke is the second note. Even
though playing doubles on the
keyboard is mechanically different
than playing them on a snare drum,
the end result should be the same.
Both strokes should have an even and
full sound. I think that we have all
heard people playing double strokes
where all you hear is an accented
first note and barely a sound fro
m the second. |
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Exercise
#1
is a simple timing exercise
that will help you work on the
basics of doubles. Start out
slow and gradually speed up.
Really concentrate on getting
an even sound out of both
strokes. Remember to use your
wrists and lift! Don’t
forget to use your metronome!
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Exercise
#2
works on playing doubles while
moving your hands to different
notes. Try to play right in
the center of the bar for both
strokes. Again, start out at a
slower speed and work your way
up. Remember, we want the
double strokes to sound even
while we are moving from note
to note. Once you have
mastered C major, move around
to different scales. |
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Exercise #3 is an etude based on double stroke movements from
Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess”.
This etude works on many
different combinations of
doubles stokes.
At times you will need
to play on the edge of the
bars in the upper manual. Try
to work on getting all the
notes even. That will be a
difficult task, but a
rewarding one. Set your
metronome at quarter note
equals 80 and slowly work up
from there. The old adage
“if you can’t play it
slow, you can’t play it
fast” definitely works here.
Have fun with it and soon you
will be a diddle master! |
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“Keyboard
Mallet Technique, Episode I
– The Grip & Basic
Stroke” appeared
in the October 2000, Vol. 3
Issue of Staff
Notes. |
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Good
luck,
Kirk
Gay |
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Kirk
Gay is a Professional
Percussionist, Composer &
Arranger. His award-winning
talent has taken him across
the globe. He is currently a
member of the Express Music
Percussion Staff, where he
contributes his musical
talents to arrangements,
original compositions, and his
experience and knowledge to
informative articles in Staff
Notes.
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©
Express Music Services, Inc.
Not to be reproduced without written
permission from Express Music Services. |
