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Preface When I began my carrier as percussion teacher, I found there was a lack of easy material that was both fun to play and preparatory for beginners. That’s why I decided to write etudes in different styles (classical, blues, jazz, Latin, R&B), that were both enjoyable to play and easy enough for understanding the basic principles of movement involved on mallet instruments. The two Easy Mallets books (Marimba & Xylophone; Vibraphone & Improvisation) that collect these etudes were written to be used simultaneously as they complement each other. I teach my students (even the classical one) to learn how to improvise right from the beginning of their studies, in order to remove the fear of playing without reading music. In the book dedicated to the Vibraphone & Improvisation the students will learn how to improvise using basic harmonic structures in different styles (swing, Latin, blues, shuffle, R&B, boogaloo…). Improvisation is not only a great way to develop creativity, sense of rhythm, musicality and ears, but it is also an amazing practice routine that will unconsciously make the students understanding the mechanic of their hands, while getting familiar with the instrument. When we learn to improvise, we learn instrument fluency; we learn the natural connection between a musical idea, its manifestation in sounds we can control and we learn to link sound devices to our own musical voice. I will explain some of the basic concepts of improvisation, dispelling many myths behind this musical art and giving creative advice that will encourage the students to let go of the need to be perfect and let themselves be playful. They will become aware of the fundamental harmonic and melodic concepts at the base of music (an area where percussionists often find themselves unprepared). A special thanks goes to my good friend and vibes mentor Tony Miceli, founder of the website www.vibesworkshop.com, who took the time to review the draft of the Easy Mallets books. His priceless advice and profound knowledge of the instrument and music is a constant inspiration for me and made me rethink from a different point of view many of the concepts explained in the book.

How to Use Backing Tracks available on www.giovanniperin.com and on YouTube After I tried the etudes with my students, I realize that they need backing tracks to help them keep time and keep going without getting stuck over and over again in the same bar. For this reason, I recorded the play along of the etudes, so that they could have fun while practicing at home. The backing tracks can be found on my website www.giovanniperin.com under the “books” section and on my YouTube channel under the playlist called Easy Mallets. Online you will find three version of the play along: the first version has the melody recorded on top of the backing track. The second one is a slower recording of it, so that the student can gradually develop speed and control on the instrument. The third one is just the backing track with the original tempo. I suggest first to listen to it, then get through the material slowly with the metronome and, only when everything is clear, start to work with the slower version of the backing track. It’s really important that students record themselves while practicing, both with and without the play-along, in order to keep tracking of their progress. The tracks of the book called Easy Mallets - Vibraphone & Improvisation that involve improvised parts, are recorded twice (6 tracks in total): one version contains the solo section, the other one is without it. There are also two extra tracks (one has the original tempo and one is slower) for practicing only the solo section following the suggestions I give about improvisation techniques and how to practice them. You can choose whether or not to play the solo, but I encourage you to give it a try, I’m sure you’ll have fun!

Basic Vibraphone Pedaling Technique Play the following exercises with different dynamics. 1. Make sure the notes sound equally longer and clear using the pedal as written. 2. Everything should sound as legato as possible.

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1. Play the theme as written. 2. While your friend or teacher continues to play the theme (2 times), play a solo filling the spaces between the melodic lines (see dashed lines). Use the G major pentatonic or the G major scale. 3. Play the theme once again (play only the 2nd ending), to finish the song.

Soloing tips:

1. Try to play clear and short melodies that move mainly stepwise. Don't jump around too much. 2. The solo must be related to the written theme. Start by modifying the original melody: change a couple of notes here and there, vary its rhythm, etc... 3. Remember: you are not just "banging" on a drum, it is a melodic instrument...Use dynamics! 4. The solo should sound as a counterpoint to the theme.

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Pedaling Technique The first vibraphonists used the sustain pedal only to lengthen notes, but it can also be used, as pianists usually do, to improve and articulate your phrasing (e.g. legato). One of the most common errors beginners make, consists in depressing the pedal to the floor. This is a waste of energy which creates a lot of noise. Pressing the pedal all the way to the floor makes subtle phrasing more difficult. Press the pedal only as far as you need to disconnect the dampener from the bars.

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Adjust the height of the pedal accordingly: a centimeter and a half between its base and the floor, are more than enough for the optimal control of the sound. There is also a technique called half pedaling, where you lower the pedal slightly, which create a minimal sustain. Half pedaling, applied repeatedly, especially in fast passages, allows good legato phrasing. The slight prolongation of the sound creates a kind of glue between one note and another. The constant movement of the damper pedal is also known as flutter pedaling. Flutter pedaling allows us to achieve expressive and voice-like phrasing, similar to that of a wind instrument or a singer.

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Finally, there is a technique called after pedaling. The pedal is depressed immediately after striking the note, producing a slight crescendo. This technique can also be used to tie two or more notes together, creating an alternative legato effect to dampening. In fact, using the pedal in the traditional way to lengthen the sound of two long notes, results in a gap between the two sounds, due to the fact that we must raise the pedal at the end of the first note, and then press it down again while hitting the next one.

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To accomplish this technique, we have to pedal right after striking the bar, and raise the pedal while striking the next note, taking advantage of the fact that, even when the pedal is up, the bar has a slight sustain to it, which will mix together with the lengthened sound created by pedaling.

H o w t o A p p ly t h e P e d a l: When studying the etudes of the book, first read the note without the pedal. Only when the notes and the sticking are clear, add the pedal as written. From now on, listen closely to the pedal effect when playing the etudes and improvise over them. Is the phrasing correct? Does the melody sound like a singer or a horn player would phrase it?

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H o w t o P r a c t ic e A f t e r P e d a lin g: The author mostly uses after pedaling because it is more accurate than normal pedaling, especially when phrasing legato melodies. In order to be able to apply the after pedaling technique properly, first we have to break down the movements involved because they are unnatural. Try the following exercises based on coordination between your hands and pedal. Practice first with your right hand then with your left hand. Repeat the exercises using alternate sticking:

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1. When the mallet goes down, the pedal comes up. Conversely, when the mallet comes up again, the pedal goes down. It is exactly the opposite movement of normal pedaling. Use your wrist not your harm. Remember: mallet down - pedal up, mallet up - pedal down. Once you have mastered the previous exercise, add the following part to it:

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2. After striking the note, depress the pedal quickly again. You need to depress the pedal fast enough so that the bar is still ringing. Try to repeat one note over and over and sustain it so that there are no breaks in between the repetitions. They should sound as legato as possible (legatissimo). 3. Apply after pedaling to each note of a scale. 4. Improvise freely applying the technique to random notes. 5. Finally, practice one of the etudes you’ve already studied forcing yourself to use after pedaling.

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As mentioned before, the pedal is used not only for prolonging notes, but mostly for phrasing lines and for obtaining a legato sound without applying the dampening. The easiest way to use the pedal in your solos is to keep the time with your feet. Start by depressing the pedal on beat 1&3. If the tune is really slow, pedal each beat of the bar. Lower the pedal just a little bit with the tip of your finger every 2 beats (on 1 & 3) as if you were keeping the time with it. This kind of pedaling that glues notes together and creates a legato effect is also referred as half pedaling or flutter pedaling. If you like to play a long note, leave the pedal down and then, come back to keep time with it. Remember not to overuse the pedal and phrase the melody, not the accompaniment! Once you are familiar with the “keeping time pedaling technique” try to apply subtle changes based on the melody you are playing: you want it to sound like a horn player or a singer. After pedaling will help you to get good results. With practice and experience you’ll be able to apply the pedal to phrase lines properly and create spaces in between.

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O M E D

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Practice the Solo F minor pentatonic scale

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a. Practice the pentatonic scale up and down the whole keyboard using different tempos and dynamics. Start by playing the scale in quarter notes, then practice it in 8th, triplets or 16th notes. b. Play a solo using just the first 3 notes of the scale (F-Ab-Bb). Start by developing short rhythmic ideas. c. Repeat the previous exercise adding a new note of the scale each time, until you get to play the entire scale.

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Do not use to much pedal! The pedal is used to phrase lines (legato) and prolonging notes. Start by lowering the pedal a little with your foot on beats 1 & 3, as if you were keeping time with it (flutter pedaling). The pedal glues the notes together and creates a legato effect. Be careful not to lower the pedal all the way down to the floor, otherwise it will make noise. When playing long notes hold the pedal down and then bring your foot back up to keep time with it. A common beginners' mistake is to play always the same rhythm and dynamic during the solo: be creative and use different dynamics (f-mf-p) and rhythms combinations of quarter notes, 8th or 16th notes, triplets, etc. The easiest way to learn how to improvise is to start by modifying the theme (think about the variation on a theme in classical music). In this way you create a strong connection between the written part and the solo. The next exercise will help you developing this idea.

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Dexterity: improve your solo using part of the following patterns based on the pentatonic scale. First, practice them very slowly through the whole keyboard, then increase the speed gradually.

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Play a solo every second bar using the Fm pentatonic. You can vary the written bars playing other phrases taken from the theme.

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Develop your Dexterity -Repeat each exercise for 5 minutes every day when you start practicing. -Practice them using different tempos (from really slow to really fast) and dynamics. -The number one secret to greater speed is relaxation. -Be precise and accurate. Giovanni Perin

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