ELECTRONIC PERCUSSION INSTRUMENT

For percussionists, rhythm notation represents more than a mere temporal sequence of music; it also assists the selection and execution of the appropriate technique. This musical execution is often dependent on the percussion instrument, although it is safe to argue that the movement sequence when sounding an instrument is independent of its size and proportions. Starting from the first beats, it is as crucial to learn and master movement routines as it is to understand and feel the time between notes, since these together enable one to play out rhythm notation precisely and internalise the correct motor processes. Applying the adequate movement sequences during the learning process consciously could result in substantial self-control abilities, which can also be utilised during practice. In the past centuries, the style of percussionists’ performance has transformed substantially due to the evolution of instruments and mallets, as well as performers’ efforts towards faster tempos. In this study, a brief overview on the history of percussion instruments is followed by the presentation of the technical evolution and milestones of how snare drums and other drums are played. When practicing percussion instruments, we must bear in mind the vast contribution of percussionists from bygone centuries, who laid the foundations of modern-day techniques either in wars or for others’ entertainment. Keywords: tabor, snare drum, traditional grip, rudimental

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The effects of ergonomic redesigns of an Eastern percussion instrument on elderly per-formers

Gerontechnology ◽

10.4017/gt.2010.09.02.209.00 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

Author(s):

A. Luo

Keyword(s):

Percussion Instrument

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Percussion instrument in the nature of a drum

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America ◽

10.1121/1.399595 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 88 (6) ◽

pp. 2914-2915

Author(s):

Ivan Fece

Keyword(s):

Percussion Instrument

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Extended Playing Techniques on an Augmented Virtual Percussion Instrument

Computer Music Journal ◽

10.1162/comj_a_00457 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 42 (2) ◽

pp. 8-21

Author(s):

Victor Zappi ◽

Andrew Allen ◽

Sidney Fels

Keyword(s):

Virtual Instrument ◽

Physical Modeling ◽

Musical Instruments ◽

Traditional Design ◽

Two Factors ◽

Percussion Instrument ◽

And Control ◽

Percussive Instruments ◽

Difference Time

Innovation and tradition are two fundamental factors in the design of new digital musical instruments. Although apparently mutually exclusive, novelty does not imply a total disconnection from what we have inherited from hundreds of years of traditional design, and the balance of these two factors often determines the overall quality of an instrument. Inspired by this rationale, in this article we introduce the Hyper Drumhead, a novel augmented virtual instrument whose design is deeply rooted in traditional musical paradigms, yet aimed at the exploration of unprecedented sounds and control. In the first part of the article we analyze the concepts of designing an augmented virtual instrument, explaining their connection with the practice of augmenting traditional instruments. Then we describe the design of the Hyper Drumhead in detail, focusing on its innovative physical modeling implementation. The finite-difference time-domain solver that we use runs on the parallel cores of a commercially available graphics card and permits the simulation of real-time 2-D wave propagation in massively sized domains. Thanks to the modularity of this implementation, musicians can create several 2-D virtual percussive instruments that support realistic playing techniques but whose affordances can be enhanced beyond most of the limits of traditional augmentation.

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