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Question: Xylophone/Marimba!.!.!.!. in marching band in High School!?
I've never played any percussion/wind/brass instruments before!.!.!.!. except for piano, which i played since 6!. I also play violin, guitar, and string bass!. I want to do marching band in high school cuz it seems fun, and my music teacher said that taking music would help us getting in to colleges!. The high school i'm going to has the BEST marching band in the whole city!. I live in Southern California!. I really want to try the Xylophone or Marimba, vibraphone would be cool too, but i like the sound of wood better!. I heard the school usually have xylophones and stuff, but would it be better if i purchase one!? Would it be ok to start in freshman!? (cuz!.!. never played it before!.!.)Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
its perfectly ok to start as a freshman!. i did, and one year later i am playing 1st vibraphone w/ four mallets in my school's winter drumline (which is pretty good)!. i dont think the school would let you buy a mallet instrument, they are so expensive (we r talking thousands of dollars here)!. go find out exactly what your school has, im sure that if your band is as good as you say it is, it should have a lot of different instruments in their front ensemble!. your instructor will probably tell you which instrument to start on (my school, from least advanced to most: auxillary percussion (cymbals and such), xylophone, vibraphone, marimba!. it might be different for your school though!. the type of mallet instrument that you learn on doesnt really affect what you are able to play!. the thing that you need to learn is just mallet technique, because you already know how to read music and how to apply that to your mallet instrument because of your piano skills!. dont bother buying an instrument for yourself, its not worth the money (unless you happen to have a lot of it)!. buy a pair or two of mallets instead!. practice mallet technique on your floor (preferably carpeting), on your bed, a pillow, whatever!. if you need the notes there, get a piece of cardboard and draw the keys of a mallet instrument on it!. good luck, and have fun!Www@QuestionHome@Com
A xylophone can come rather expensive!.!. so can a Marimba
I know for a afct if you are in a marching band there will be alot of practices other than your regular school period!.!.!.So why not just use the time required to learn!? instead of buying it just yet!.!.
If you really want to learn xylophone its going to take time!.!.!.but you will get to it!.!.!. if u really try!.!.!. Its not easy!.!. but it all also depends on the effort you put towards learning!.!.!. You know how to play piano!.!. soo i know!.!. when i learned how to play marimba it came way easier since i had piano and accordio classes before!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Xylophone and Marimba are both really hard!. You'd be playing all kinds of crazy 32nd notes, and such!. You'd be better off starting with a snare drum or something easier!. also you would'nt have to purchase your own, the schools have some as they are very expensive!.
If you played one of those instruments, you prob wouldn't actually be marching, though, you'd be in something called pit, where you just play and don't march!. Usually people in pit are those who play non marching instruments, though, lke bassoon or oboe!.
Best of luck with whatever you decide!Www@QuestionHome@Com
You'll be able to transfer your recognition of piano keys to keyed percussion easily, since the layout is the same!. The thing you'll have to develop is the kind of hand-stick coordination that permits you to hit the keys properly, and the sticking techniques that will make it possible to play technical passages without getting your arms crossed up!.
I'd suggest looking for a simple tuned percussion instrument, like a set of orchestra bells, at
http://www!.shopgoodwill!.com/ You'll have to shop them a while before something comes up--and sometimes it will even be a piccolo xylophone or some such!.
Don't worry about whether it's orchestra bells, xylophone, marimba, vibraphone, whatever!. Play one, play 'em all!. It's entirely possible you'll be asked to switch from one to the other during your marching band's show!.
Get a good percussion book to start, and pay close attention to the grip!. Your thumb and forefinger need to cross each other at a 90 degree angle, forming a cross!. I find that if I get sloppy with my grip, my technique always suffers!.
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