WESLEY DENKINS TOODLE LOOKE
for xylophone solo with percussion ensemble or piano accompaniment
Toodle Looke by Wesley Denkins © 2025 Tapspace Publications, LLC (ASCAP). All rights reserved.
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TSPCE25-013
PROGRAM NOTES
Toodle Looke serves as an enchanting introduction to the musical genre of ragtime, combining the exuberance of xylophone melodies with the rich texture and colors of marimba and percussion accompaniment. The title is a combination of the phrase “toodle loo” (an old English way of saying “good-bye” or “see you later”) and the name Luke. Toodle Looke was originally a piano solo composed for a former student named Luke and later adapted for xylophone and percussion ensemble. It offers every performer an equally important role, and students will be exposed to some of the key components of the genre, including syncopated rhythms, a steady bass line, and a lively, driving tempo.
Composed in the vibrant tradition of ragtime, this piece embodies the spirit of early 20th-century America, where syncopated rhythms and infectious melodies captured the hearts of audiences across the nation. Toodle Looke pays homage to the pioneers of ragtime, namely Scott Joplin and George Hamilton Green, whose innovative spirit and creative genius laid the foundation for an enduring musical legacy.
—Wesley Denkins
PLAYERS AND INSTRUMENTATION
Toodle Looke requires 2-10 players with the following instrumentation options:
• Full ensemble (see below) — 8-10 players
• Mallet instruments only (omit percussion 1-3) — 5 players
• Xylophone with piano accompaniment — 2 players
• Any or all percussion parts may be added to the piano or mallet ensemble versions.
Full ensemble instrumentation:
1. Xylophone (soloist)
2. Marimba 1 (share w/ M3)
3. Marimba 2 (share w/ M4)
4. Marimba 3 (4-octave)
5. Marimba 4 (low A or optional 5-octave)
6. Percussion 1* (1 or 2 players) — snare drum + optional siren whistle, bass drum
7. Percussion 2* — triangle, glockenspiel
8. Percussion 3* (1 or 2 players) — 2 woodblocks, tambourine
*optional parts
SUGGESTED SETUP (FULL ENSEMBLE)
PERFORMANCE NOTES
Toodle Looke is first and foremost a xylophone solo with accompaniment. As such, the xylophone part is much more intricate than the accompanying parts and requires a soloist with a keen sense of rhythm and fluency on the instrument. (This part has many leaps, and it is easy to get the hands twisted.) Stickings have been left out, but the piece is fairly idiomatic to someone with experience playing their scales and arpeggios.
The marimba accompaniment is fairly straightforward with Marimba 4 primarily playing the bass line while the other three parts are playing the upbeat, syncopated chords. The percussion accompaniment is meant to evoke the feelings of a trap percussionist and must always lie underneath the texture of the marimbas and solo voice.
The piece is written in a very obvious ABA form with repeated phrases. The note-learning phase is much quicker because of this, but special attention must be paid to make the most of the dynamic structure of the piece. The A section is the primary melodic material and much livelier than the B section. The B section is daintier and lighter than the sections surrounding it. Have fun exploring timbres and fun little moments throughout!
Some important notes:
• The xylophone soloist must be heard throughout; however, it is recommended to use a soft plastic mallet.
• Equipping the marimba players with the same mallets (or slight variations within the same series) will make the chord balance easier to manage.
• Marimbas 1 and 3 may share a 4-octave marimba. Marimbas 2 and 4 may share a low-A or 5-octave marimba. Marimba 4 should play notes in parentheses if using a 5-octave.
• At letter A, mf - mp (or mp - p) means to play the first dynamic the first time through and the second dynamic on the repeat. Note that some players have a crescendo in the first ending (m. 20), so they will immediately drop back down to a softer dynamic on the repeat back to letter A (m. 5).
• One player can cover the Percussion 1 part if necessary. Think of it as a “trap” set using a kick drum for the bass drum.
• If you’re using a larger concert bass drum, make sure it’s quite muffled! There are only a handful of spots where some sustain is needed.
• The marked staccato notes on triangle are meant to be muffled notes. Strike the triangle as your back fingers are muffling the triangle.
• The tambourine timbre should be as short and as crisp as possible, especially on parts marked staccato.
• Percussion 3 may use either two woodblocks or temple blocks.
• If one person is playing Percussion 3, there are some quick instrument changes, so make sure they are equipped with some sort of trap table to help facilitate those changes.
• Let the piece be wacky and zany—that’s the nature of it!
