Synergetic Simpatico by Tapspace

John Max McFarland

Synergetic Simpatico duet for drumset and multiple-percussion

Synergetic Simpatico. ÂŠ 2007 Tapspace Publications, LLC, Portland, Oregon. All rights reserved. www.tapspace.com Notice of Liability: Any duplication, adaptation, or arrangement of this composition requires the written consent of the copyright owner. No part of this composition may be photocopied or reproduced in any way without permission. Unauthorized uses are an infringement of the U.S. Copyright act and are punishable by law. TSPCE-16

Program notes syn·er·get·ic (sĭn’ər-jĕt’ĭk) adj. Working together; cooperative. sim·pa·ti·co (sĭm-pä’tĭ-kō) adj. Of like mind or temperament; compatible. Synergetic Simpatico is an exploration of the musical possibilities of two percussion instruments with two very different stereotypes in the percussion world. The drumset is often times construed as a groove oriented instrument, often with very simple, repeating patterns that create a consistent ostinato for other instruments to play along to. The multiple-percussion setup is often looked at in a more contemporary view. The idea of putting together multiple percussion instruments played by one player has been embraced by the contemporary concert realm in the form of modern percussion ensemble pieces, solos, and notably, Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat. This piece will attempt to break these stereotypes by showing off the drumset as a contemporary percussion instrument and showing off the multiple-percussion setup as a groove oriented instrument. The piece begins with an explosive introduction leading into a more contemporary writing approach to the drumset. The second section contains a fugue-like passage featuring five voices that eventually play all at once! With a metric modulation to signify the end of the fugal section, the piece then picks up speed, driving until the end. This last section demonstrates the groove possibilities of the multiple-percussion setups. The name of the piece is derived from the way each instrument assists the other in breaking out of their stereotypical mold. This is done through the playing of like instruments, and the use of musical motives and phrasing throughout the piece.

About the composer John Max McFarland holds degrees in Percussion Performance (B.M., M.M) and Composition (B.M.) from Western Michigan University. While at WMU he studied percussion with Judy Moonert and composition with Dr. Richard Adams, Dr. Robert Ricci, and Curtis Curtis-Smith. John was also a member of The Kiwanis Kavaliers and Santa Clara Vanguard drum and bugle corps. John is currently a freelance percussionist and composer in the Midwest, as well as an avid music arranger and educator.

Acknowledgements This composition required a great deal of dedication and energy. Thank you to Richard Adams for all his help during the compositional process, and to Mike Shimmin for his time and determination in learning the drumset part for the premiere of this piece. Thanks also to my family for their ongoing encouragement, Jim Casella and the guys at Tapspace, and my wife Sydney for her support and inspiration.

Suggested Setup

Drum Set

Multiple Percussion

1. Snare Drum 2. Bass Drum 3. High Tom 4. Mid Tom 5. High Floor Tom 6. Low Floor Tom 7. Octabons (high set) 8. Timbales 9. 14” Hi Hats 10. Low Crash Cymbal 11. Splash Cymbal 12. High Crash Cymbal 13. Ride Cymbal 14. High Jam Block (w/foot) 15. Low Jam Block (w/foot) 16. Cowbell (w/foot)

1. Bongos 2. High Roto-tom 3. Mid Roto-tom 4. Low Roto-tom 5. Concert Bass Drum 6. Piccolo Snare Drum 7. Brake Drums 8. Cowbells 9. Sizzle Cymbal 10. Splash Cymbal 11. Log Drums (high, low) 12. Mark Tree 13. Temple Blocks 14. 13” Hi Hats 15. China Cymbal 16. Ride Cymbal

Performance notes •

A set of swizzle sticks is needed for each player. A smaller tip is needed for clarity during the antiphonal ride cymbal and hi-hat sections. The “swizzle” end should be a medium hard felt.

•

Specific cymbal sizes are left up to the performers, with the exception of the hi-hats. The drumset player should use 14” hi-hats, while the multiple-percussion player should use a set of 13” hi-hats.

• •

The ride cymbals should be dry for maximum articulation.

•

The drumset should utilize a high set of octobans tuned in a lower register for maximum resonance.

•

The octobans should be setup highest (1) to lowest (4) in this order: Top left (1), Top right (2), Bottom left (3), Bottom Right (4). A similar order is recommended for the log drum setup as well.

•

No pitch specification is given to the roto-toms. However, the roto-toms should be tuned lower in the range to match resonance of the drumset tom-toms. The goal of the roto-toms is to create a timbral difference between the roto-toms and the drumset tom-toms.

•

The snare drum used on the drumset should be tuned higher than the highest tom-tom. This is to ensure a clear melodic motive during the fugal section.

•

The concert bass drum used in the multiple-percussion setup should be muffled slightly with a soft towel or another similar material.

•

The foot pedals for the drumset player should be placed as close to each other as possible. For instance, the high jam block should be placed as close to the bass drum pedal as possible; the low jam block and cowbell should be placed right next to the hi-hat pedal.

•

For ease of notation, the foot pedal parts are often written separate from the hand parts. The hands may also be broken up this way, if the part involves multiple phrases at once.

•

Tenuto markings (-) should be interpreted as very slight accents.

•

Marcato markings on the timbales indicate rim shots.

•

Noteheads with parentheses around them indicate “ghosted” notes, which are to be played as quietly as possible.

s( bl o

-t ba om ss dr pi um cc ol o sn ar e

om -t

-t







*Note: A larger, printable version of this notation guide is also available on the included CD-Rom.

ba l m





h as cr









sp l





lo w



tim





r (n ide or cy m m /b b el al l)

tim ba le hi (w gh /f ja oo m t) b lo l ck (w ow /f jam oo t) blo ck co wb el l( w/ hi fo ha ot t( ) w/ fo ot ) hi ha t( cl os e/ op

ba le

) (4 ns







ta bo





flo w



flo

m dr u ar

to id m







m to gh hi



Drumset

to m ss dr um

)

lo w

hi gh

pl e

                             



bo n

Multiple-percussion

el l hi wbe gh ll br ak m e id dr br um ak lo e w dr br um ak e dr um lo g dr um s( hi gh lo se g t) dr um s( lo hi w ha se t) t (w /f oo hi t) ha t( cl os e/ op r en (n ide ) or cy m m /b b el al l) ch in a cy sp m ba la sh l c ym siz zl ba e l cy m m ar ba k l tr ee

Notation guide*

Level - Difficult Duration: approx. 7:00

Synergetic Simpatico duet for drumset and multiple-percussion John Max McFarland

q = 122

3                3            edge               

with tips

Multiple Percussion

          3 bell of hi-hat 3                                                       Drum Set                   with tips, snares on

3 4       chk                                    3                  ppp pp f ff f ff mp

                                            pp

ppp

3   3                          f ff f ff mp

8                                                         

                                                                                         ff

13                                                     mp molto sub. p

                          

   chk                   to swizzle, snares off

molto

Synergetic Simpatico – McFarland



                                                                

 



  swizzle 

     

 

 

                                                          

     

3        

    

 

 

                                           

            

 



 

swizzle

              





                            





3   

                                  f

TSPCE-16



                   

 

 

to swizzle

tips

     

 

             

  



    

  

 

  

                                  



  

 

    mf                                 sf

 

      

Synergetic Simpatico – McFarland







                 sf









    



    

                                 p







                  

  3  





                                                                       3      

 

                   p

mf p











  

                                                                      f mf

                                                  sfz sfz   sfz mp mf                                                                                                     52

mf mp



 













                       sfz



        

           mf mp                              mf

        

                      sfz TSPCE-16

Synergetic Simpatico – McFarland

    chk                        

                   tips

                             60





ff p

 





   

ff 3





                 



                                   p ff p

           

    

   3                              

  

 

swizzle

  



                                                   p

TSPCE-16



 

       



  

 edge chk            fff



mf 3

                            



p sub.

                  

   

                                         

             

 



      



      chk                 fff

Synergetic Simpatico – McFarland

                             

66                        

ppp

fff

                                                                              ppp

fff

        69

          

     



       

 

ppp

                          pp

 



fff

        pp

                



fff

72                                                           p

                                                                         p ff

          3                                               mp 5

        

           3                                                        mp f

TSPCE-16

Synergetic Simpatico – McFarland

6 81        3                                      6 mp 3

3 6         3                                                                      3



                   3                                        mp

ff p

cresc.

   chk   3                                                                               mp 3 p cresc. 3

 89          3         f



  

 



swizzle

       3



  

                                                                     3 ff mp

   94

   3

          3

         

tips



mp 3

                                              TSPCE-16



3      

swizzle

                            

Synergetic Simpatico – McFarland

    

                                     

100

   3 3                          



  





to swizzle, snares off

                                      

  





            

109





 

 

 mf

 



   

  chk             sf

  3          

        

fff

      120

Risoluto q.=54 (h=q.) ff

        

 

      

                   

113 3       

fff



 

 

  







 

   sf

w/swizzle)  (still    

    





           

    3 3 3        

 

3 3 3           

        3



 

 l.v.



   3    mp



105

       

(still w/swizzle)





 

rit.



fff pesante



                          mp

TSPCE-16

Synergetic Simpatico – McFarland



126



  mp

3 3 3 3                                          3

      

           p

                p



131





             4

r.h.



             mp







               

l.h.

4                                                                                   



136

 



  



4                        4







l.h.



        

                                 

with tip

(still w/swizzle) r.h.

                                                    TSPCE-16

Synergetic Simpatico – McFarland



141

 

 

  

   

         

         



             p

          

 



   



 

         mf                               mf



    

       

146

                                      

                        

    



 



 



        

    





 

                                            

150



     

            f

            f

   

   

tips

          pp 

     mf









 3   3   3      

swizzle

     







to tips, snares on





TSPCE-16

Synergetic Simpatico – McFarland

  

155 e=q (q=162)



tips



 

159 3      3  3 3   3                                 

       

  



3 3  3         

163 3                        ff

chk



                                         p f 3

           3          168

r.h.

l.h.

                             3



                    

                            p

   







           p

3 3           

                         3

                     

                





3                                                          3 3

172

TSPCE-16

           

 solo                        f

  

 

  

Synergetic Simpatico – McFarland

                   3  chk         

         

                 

  



176

180

   184

                         



             3  3 chk                                             swizzle                               solo

                                          mp

             

191

     

              





  



 chk  

3 3           

187



            

 norm. 3                                                   

                           mf      

                  

3 3                                            3 3

3              

 l.v. 

  

 

  



  



          

             

  3            

  

                 

       tips

        

           

 

TSPCE-16

Synergetic Simpatico – McFarland

194 3 3                            3    3                    f p ff 3 3              3     3                                                           



              

198

                      

 

 

 

 

    

  

    

                

                                                      

202

      

  

                   

  

                            

                                f

                                                   

206

                                                                                    

 

 

 

3                                                      fff   (no accents) 3                                                   

210

TSPCE-16

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