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How to Write for Percussion: A Comprehensive Guide to Percussion Composition

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Description

While composers and percussionists are working more closely than ever with one another, there are few resources that address this collaborative relationship in depth. However, Samuel Z. Solomon, himself a percussionist and teacher, offers a comprehensive examination of the issues that percussionists and composers encounter in How to Write for Percussion. The first edition, self- published in 2004, provided musicians and music programs the world over with practical and indispensible information about issues of notation, concert production, and much more. This new edition goes even further as Solomon offers more insights derived from his personal experience as a percussionist and teacher and from his collaborations with other musicians. The second edition of How to Write for Percussion expands the survey of behind-the-scenes processes-from instrument choice and notation to logistics, execution, and concert production-to uncover all the tools a composer needs to comfortably create innovative and skilled percussion composition. Solomon also includes more excerpts and performances as well as interviews with famous percussionists and composers that capture the intricacies of percussion composition. Moreover, the second edition features an expanded text with more instruments and more analysis, plus an extensive Online Video Companion containing over nine hours of videos with demonstrations, performances, interviews, and analysis to flesh out and clarify the material in the book. This updated edition of How to Write for Percussion will appeal to a wide swath of musicians including composers, arrangers, and percussionists. Those who have already utilized the first edition will welcome the upgrade, and those who have yet to benefit from Solomon's perspective will likewise find his insights illuminating. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press


Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 21, 2016


Edition ‏ : ‎ 2nd


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Print length ‏ : ‎ 304 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0199920362


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 65


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.22 pounds


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.9 x 6.9 x 0.8 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #1,198,945 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #481 in Percussion Instruments (Books) #604 in Music Composition (Books) #909 in Music (Books)


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • Best book on percussion!
Format: Paperback
If I could give this book 6 stars, I would! Very well laid out and organized. Excellent advice on working with percussionists. You will be hard pressed to find a more complete book on percussion. The author provides excellent advice on the actual implementation of percussion in compositions. The book very methodically and logically explains the different ways of categorizing percussion and the pros and cons of each. The overall structure of the book consists of the following: 1) Intro; 2) General (Framework, Logistics, Notation); 3) Beaters; 4) Chapters for each major subdivison of percussion (keyboard, drum, metal, wood, and miscellaneous); and 5) Appendices (expanded below). I'm not doing justice with this very short summary, but suffice it to say, there is a LOT of sage guidance, advice, and other information, especially in the 'General' chapters. There is MUCH wisdom that otherwise could not be gained in such a short space in this book. You really just have to experience the book for yourself. I can't say enough good things about this book! Furthermore, Samuel provides appendices that show very clearly the relationships of all of the percussion instruments: repertoire analysis (40+ well known famous works with short analysis of each (links to audio on the associated site); sample setups (visual diagrams); extended techniques; pitch specification; dynamics (relationships between all the instruments); register (graphical on staves); beaters: table of beater usage; and percussion family tree (pitch clarity, register [categorized lists of instruments by register (treble high, treble low, bass high, bass low],length of sustain, and sound production). I am in the process of writing a symphony and this book is invaluable as a resource for composers! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2023 by Amazon Customer
    • Written in a clear and easy language, and the video part is also a ...
Format: Paperback
A most valuable text book, big help for a non-percussion player composer.Written in a clear and easy language, and the video part is also a big help. A recommended book for all musicians.
Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2017 by Yuval
    • The best gets even better!
Format: Paperback
If you are a composer and you ever write for percussion, you should have this book. It is well-written, immaculately detailed, and with the newly released 2nd edition now has great online video components to go along with it. No other orchestration book covers percussion anywhere near this well.
Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2016 by BobPeanut
    • Great Book For Non-Percussionists
Format: Kindle
So glad to have gotten this book. Being a brass player, the percussion section has always eluded me and I’ve never understand a major part of the section.
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2024 by Jim Hale
    • Incredible resource, with bugs in the Kindle version
Format: Kindle
As an arranger this book has been an incredible resource (recommended to me by my former Juilliard teacher.) The videos in the second edition are a huge help. The Kindle version has several bugs: words running into each other and photos repeating (ie the photo will be labeled one thing, but it will show another - especially in chapter 8.) Recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning more about the intricacies of the percussion family! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2026 by Or Matias
    • A must for composers
Format: Paperback
Great book that helped me for a lot of compositions.
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2019 by Ross G.
    • Everything you need to know.....
Format: Paperback
The perfect "go to" book for answering questions the non percussionist might have ...
Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2021 by Stevie G
    • Five Stars
Format: Paperback
very useful for people who love percussion
Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2017 by Yun-Chiao HUANG

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