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Teaching Mallet Instruments: Let’s start differently!

Patterns Are Friends There are great method books available for teaching
There are often repeated patterns in music for mallet beginners mallet instruments: Fundamental Method for
instruments but recognizing these patterns require some Mallets by Mitchell Peters, Simple Steps to Successful
experience. Repeated patterns can be melodic figures of Beginning Percussion by Kennan Wylie, and A Fresh
a few measures long or sometimes just some groups of a Approach to Mallet Percussion by Mark Wessels. These
few notes (Example 6). They can also be figures moving books expound upon concepts discussed earlier and
in melodic sequences (Example 7). Once patterns are include fundamental technical exercises. When using these
identified and analyzed, players can learn the piece faster books, teachers should relate the technical exercises to
and choose appropriate sticking to help with execution and reading music, and teach students to identify the patterns
consistency. Identifying patterns ultimately helps with the of melodies. It ultimately helps students learn mallet music
memorization and phrasing of a piece. much more efficiently on their own!

Example 6: excerpt from Allegro, Sonata for Violin in F Major, HWV 370 by G. F. Handel

Example 7: Morris Goldenberg, Modern School for Xylophone, Marimba, Vibraphone
Etude XXXV, mm. 7-12

Dr. Yi-Jan (Rachel) Liu holds a doctorate of musical arts degree in percussion performance from University of North Texas where she also received
her master’s degree. She has been an active musician and has presented recitals, clinics, and master classes at different venues. In 2017, Dr. Liu has won
the 2nd place and the reward of best interpretation at the Australian Marimba Competition in Melbourne, Australia. Dr. Liu also has significant teaching
experience at different levels ranging from college to high school and middle school. Currently, she teaches percussion lessons at both the middle and high
school levels in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area.
Dr. Liu is endorsed with Innovative Percussion.

Bandmasters Review • December 2018 20 Texas Bandmasters Association