| Tuned Percussion is great fun - most of
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| | you hear an "F" because one student has
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| the Time! However, it can be a source of
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| | an F# on their instrument!
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| headaches (literally!) for music teachers
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| | The best tip I have for this is to simply
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| if its not implemented in a careful way.
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| | take those substitute bars, put them into
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| This article is to give you some hints
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| | a box and lock them away!
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| and tricks on how to maintain and look
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| | The best solution is to simply find
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| after the instruments, plus the types of
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| | music, transpose music or write music
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| music to play which have the greatest
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| | that is only in C MAJOR. That way you
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| chances of success.
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| | won't be messing around chaning notes,
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| 1)Organization is the key
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| | and you can get on with making music!
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| With tuned percussion instruments in a
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| | 4) Go for Wood - Not Metal - and get them
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| music class you have to be totally
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| | all at once!
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| organized.
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| | I've seen more broken "Metallophones" at
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| Each instrument needs a shelf where it
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| | schools than any other instrument. For
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| lives permanently - so that students know
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| | some reason they always seem to have
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| where it goes back after it has been
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| | gotten lost bars and damaged rubber
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| used. You've got to establish these
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| | strips under the bars which result in a
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| places early in the routine and have
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| | loud "clunk" whenever you try to play
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| ordering about how the students go about
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| | them!
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| picking them out and playing them.
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| | Glockenspiels are very challenging for
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| 2) Go All Diatonic or All Chromatic
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| | young children - the bars are really
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| One of the big problems is that many orff
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| | small... and piercing on the ears as
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| style tuned percussion instruments are
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| | well.
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| sold in two bits - the main "diatonic"
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| | My advice... go for WOOD every time.
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| part of the instrument, plus they offer a
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| | diatonic xylophones, with a box
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| "chromatic extension" which is simply the
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| | resonator.
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| black notes on a separate box resonator.
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| | You should really take ALL your budget in
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| In my experience these things are far
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| | one year and dedicate it to this - don't
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| more hassle than they are worth,
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| | buy one or two at once.. That will not
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| particularly for elementary school
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| | suffice for a whole class. Get a class
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| classes. You are much better off with
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| | set of ten to twenty xylophones that are
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| just a diatonic instrument that isn't in
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| | all identical and they will last for
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| "two bits"
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| | years.
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| Organizing a class so that everyone has
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| | Get one or two at a time and you'll find
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| to get the main instrument, and then get
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| | that they get mixed up and no-one knows
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| the chromatic extension and put it in
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| | what bars and bits go with what
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| front is far too difficult for most
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| | instrument!
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| elementary classes.
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| | 5) Mallets all identical - all in one
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| In theory of course the elementary class
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| | place
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| can use just the diatonic bit, and the
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| | One simple thing you can do is get a full
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| more advanced can use the full
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| | set of mallets, and make them all
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| chromatic.. but it rarely works that way!
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| | identical!
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| The only schools where I've seen those
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| | If you get a box or a large jar and
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| chromatic extensions they are generally
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| | dedicate it to this purpose then students
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| put away into a cupboard and never used!
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| | will know that they have to get and
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| Still, if you have more advanced or older
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| | return the mallets to this location and
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| students then you should get fully
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| | they'll get used to this procedure.
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| chromatic instruments to start with!
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| | If you only have wooden xylophones then
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| 3) Play everything in C Major
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| | you won't have to worry about different
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| One of the big "time wasters" is those
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| | mallets for the glockenspiels and
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| substitute F sharp and B flat bars that
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| | metallophones.
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| are included with many of the diatonic
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| | Of course I'm talking about an ideal
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| instruments. These have to be a complete
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| | situation - and I know that its not
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| waste of time for teachers. Often you can
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| | common that you get the budget to go out
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| spend half the class making sure that all
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| | and get a full class set of new tuned
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| the students have the right notes on
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| | percussion instruments for an elementary
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| their instruments, and then you'll still
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| | school.
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| hear something funny going on whenever
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