Top products from r/percussion

Any of the Morris Goldenberg 2-mallet etudes would be good. For 2-mallet stuff, something short and sweet is best, but play musically.

Link to Goldenberg book: https://www.amazon.com/Xylophone-Marimba-Vibraphone-Goldenberg-Classics/dp/075790890X

For 4-mallets, it really kind of depends on where you are technically. Yellow After the Rain, Rain Dance, and Frogs are all do-able and would be good audition pieces if you've played some 4-mallet stuff before. A solo out of the Mark Ford Technique through Music book would also be good. Find a piece that will show off what you can do technically. Don't reach for a piece that you can just barely play through. If you're struggling through a piece, they'll know. That being said, the piece should show off a wide variety of techniques, so a chorale isn't really a good audition piece. But, a more technical piece with a chorale section is great.

I like all of the recommendations for Timpani pieces, too. I'd just add that the Vic Firth etudes have some good choices, and the Beck Sonata is a standard in timpani rep, so doing mvmt 2 or 3 out of there would be cool, too. Good luck with your auditions! Where are you looking to study?

You don't have to be super well rounded before college. I did really well in high school and college auditions and I used Burton primarily. Now I'm going to grad school! I sucked at Stevens my first year but my prof and I worked on it slowly and now I'm more comfortable with it. You don't need to worry about it too much.

That being said, if you want to work on it beforehand, I'd recommend Mitchell Peters' Fundamental Method for Marimba and/or Stevens's Method of Movement for Marimba. Peters is a standard and he explains 4 mallets and the techniques well without getting too overwhelming. If you want a challenge, Stevens quite literally wrote the book on his own techniques. It's much more intense but really good. Best of luck!

P90x Stretch was my best friend.... highly suggest it. Once you do the full video a few times, you can just pick your favorite stretches & do them every day.

You can practice wearing a backpack with textbooks on the front of your body if you want. But the best thing is to just strengthen your back, arms, & shoulders. You can get a hand pedaler - it's like a bike machine for your arms. Athletic manual wheelchairs like the Colours brand build the BEST shoulders & arms endurance.

Go online & look for people that need help moving - get a good back workout & help someone out / get paid. ;) Most labour intensive cleaning is a great endurance workout: hand scrubbing a bathtub, floors, walls, etc.

Tenor practice pads are nice, too.

We marched sextet tenors in college. I was 5'4" 110 lbs. Loved it, but I spend a lot on massage therapists & came home to this beauty every day: https://www.amazon.com/HoMedics-Triple-Shiatsu-Massage-Cushion/dp/B00OLDNY28

If you are a real beginner, then this remo pad is what you need. https://www.amazon.com/Remo-RT-0008-00-Practice-Ambassador-Drumhead/dp/B0002E56H6

it will give you the best idea of how drums rebound and respond to the stick at your level, and its super cheap. As you advance, you may want to invest in a rubber pad like this one https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000FMDIXY/ref=pd_aw_lpo_267_bs_tr_img_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=3SH33RTP2XM0BMQYPPX8

Personally, i really dont think you need a fancy electronic pad, especially as a beginner, but even at higher levels i dont see any benefits that having good ears or a good teacher dont privide. i think theyre just a waste of money, and especially if you are going to be playing latin music, not helpful. The only time i can see them being helpful is in training drumlines, but idk. Id love to hear other peoplea opinions on them!

I have a couple of recommendations just to get you started.

First, check out Percussion 101 on the Vic Firth education website (http://www.vicfirth.com/education/percussion101.php). This will cover a good bit of concert percussion with video demonstrations.

Second, I highly recommend Gary Cook's "Teaching Percussion" (http://www.amazon.com/Teaching-Percussion-2-DVD-Gary-Cook/dp/0534509908). Another great resource with 2 DVD's of examples as well.

And last, I would recommend having the Morris Goldenberg "Modern School for Snare Drum" (http://www.amazon.com/Modern-School-Morris-Goldenberg-Classics/dp/075790906X). The front half is mostly snare exudes and exercises, but the back half has good amount of material, most with excerpts from orchestral works as examples.

Those are a few examples you can do on your own. Good luck!

Don't be too worried about it. In 8th grade they're not expecting you to be some kind of master.

If this is something you're serious about, pick up this book: http://www.amazon.com/Progressive-Steps-Syncopation-Modern-Drummer/dp/0882847953/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1377065599&sr=8-6&keywords=snare+drumming

It's a fantastic introduction once you get the basics of how to read notes. It starts off fairly simple and gradually moves into more intense exercises but with some imagination and possibly a good teacher's guidance it can take you very far.

Also, get a metronome and use it! Start practicing with good habits now and they won't be a hinderance to change later on. Look up lessons on youtube, check out drumming sites online, it's an amazing time to learn music with so many free resources online.

I see what you mean.
If you find a particular style you are enjoying and want to dive deep in, looking for books on that particular style could be helpful. You'll also find a lot of "[X] world music applied to drum set" books (see below) that you might be able to mine for ideas.

Also, think about taking some percussion lessons! If you post the general area you live in, we could probably point you towards some good teachers to approach for further study.

World Styles on Drumset
Afro-Cuban
Brazilian
West-Africa

I like quartz metronomes. I've had this Seiko for five years, and it's great. Two tones, volume dial, and pretty tough. (I bought this after my 2nd Dr Beat II died)

Saul Goodman - Modern Method for Tympani is a good one. It breaks everything down very well, and Goodman is a highly credible percussionist/timpanist (New York Philharmonic for nearly 50 years). Have fun!

https://www.amazon.com/Giantex-Percussion-Glockenspiel-Practice-Mallets/dp/B0197TVD6Y
This is the model I have. Is not good in any way, shape or form for performance, but it gets the job done in terms of independent practice. It’s also very easily portable. 10/10 would recommend

Stick Control is probably the best book for building up chops and, well, stick control. https://www.amazon.com/Stick-Control-George-Lawrence-Stone/dp/1892764040

https://www.amazon.com/Donner-Bluetooth-Turner-Tablets-Rechargeable/dp/B06XNW9LRP/ref=mp_s_a_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1549303127&sr=8-14&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=donner+pedal

This is the one I have and seems to be working well.

Here's a $12 wire music stand from Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00W8YC9QE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_vClaCb48F8G4N

Here's one that would do that: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0772RLRR9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_CymUDbC37Y0DP

Modern School for Snare Drum by Morris Goldenberg

Rudiments and Motions by Frank Corniola

Advanced Techniques for the Modern Drummer by Jim Chapin and Progressive Steps to Syncopation for the Modern Drummer by Ted Reed

Try reading this book. I was dealing with performance anxiety and difficulty focusing in my first few years of college, and this helped me get my head in the right place. I've been able to take huge steps in my focus and consistency after understanding how to get out of my head.

We use a metal guira in my steel drum ensemble at CSULB. I bought it on amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/DLuca-Professional-Large-Stainless-Steel-Guiro/dp/B00DR0C88W/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1413442016&sr=8-3&keywords=Guira.

The scrapper sucked. It fell apart after the first gig. We use the LP scratcher and it has worked fine.