Low Tide by Ralph Hicks introduces the concepts of tempo control and expression to 7-10 young percussionists. Slow tempos are often a problem for musicians to manage, and this short piece is all about slow.
Written in a relaxed 84 beats per minute, this short piece gives each student a chance to play lines that swell and fade. It's an opportunity for them to think about the sounds they're creating, not simply playing the right notes in the right rhythms.
Difficulty: Easy
Duration: 2:30
Instrumentation:
- Player 1: Bells
- Player 2: Xylophone or 4 Octave Marimba
- Player 3: Xylophone or 4 Octave Marimba
- Player 4: Chimes
- Player 5: Suspended Cymbal
- Player 6: Brake Drum, Triangle
- Player 7: Bass Drum
- Player 8 (Optional): Timpani (3)
- Player 9 (Optional): Wood Block, Sleigh Bells
- Player 10 (Optional): Wind Chimes
Low Tide comes as a score, plus a CD that contains individual parts and an MP3 recording of the piece.
This piece is excerpted from Eric Rath and Ralph Hick's collaborative book
