Accent on Achievement, Book 2: Percussion---Snare Drum, Bass Drum & Accessories Book & Online Audio/Software

Accent on Achievement Book 2 treats percussion as equal partners in the band ensemble, not an afterthought. The comprehensive rhythm and rest exercises keep snare and bass drum students building technique at the same pace as their wind counterparts, while the 11 full band arrangements give them genuine musical responsibility from the start.

Working through these pages feels like joining a real musical conversation. Familiar melodies and world music styles give context to the rhythmic patterns you're learning, and the full band arrangements show you exactly how your part fits into something bigger than individual exercises.

This book serves beginning percussionists in grades five through eight who are learning snare drum and bass drum in a concert band setting. It works best for students who have access to online audio and software resources, which reinforce rhythmic concepts and allow practice with recorded ensemble textures.

• Match articulation to the ensemble sound during full band pieces by listening carefully to how the wind players shape their attacks and releases.
• Lock in with the conductor's beat by maintaining consistent stick height and control through softer passages, where precision becomes more audible.
• Practice the rhythm and rest exercises at multiple tempos to build independence; these patterns form the foundation for reading more complex percussion writing later.
• Balance dynamics in two-part snare and bass drum writing by understanding which voice carries the primary rhythm and which provides supporting texture.

Use Book 2 as your primary percussion curriculum during the second year of band instruction, pairing full band pieces with scale exercises and chorales at each rehearsal. The comprehensive review cycle means students retain earlier concepts while moving forward, making this an efficient foundation before tackling Book 3's technical studies in all keys.

• Reading and executing rhythmic patterns with rests across multiple meters
• Playing matched grip technique with consistent stick control and articulation
• Distinguishing between snare drum and bass drum roles in ensemble textures
• Maintaining steady pulse and responding to tempo and dynamic changes from a conductor
• Understanding how percussion parts support and enhance wind instrument melodies and harmonies