Accent on Achievement, Book 2: Combined Percussion---S.D., B.D., Access., Timp. & Mallet Percussion Book & Online Audio/Software

The percussion section of Accent on Achievement treats all percussion students as serious musicians, not afterthoughts. Book 2 gives snare drum, bass drum, accessory percussion, timpani, and mallet students equally developed parts with independent musical lines rather than doubling the band arrangement, which means your percussion section actually learns to listen, balance, and contribute musically from day one.

Book 2 balances technical development with genuine musicianship; students navigate rhythm and rest exercises, scale work, and chorales that build competence, then apply those skills to full band arrangements and world music selections that feel like real music, not etudes.

This book is essential for middle school percussionists in grades 5-8 who are building fundamental technique and music reading skills in a band setting. It serves students of all ability levels because the comprehensive review cycle reinforces concepts and allows players to progress at a secure pace.

• Address stick control and rebound early in Book 2; the method introduces technique progressively, but deliberate attention to grip and bounce prevents compensatory tension that becomes harder to fix later.
• Use the online audio to lock the snare drum rhythm section with the bass drum; listening to how these parts interact teaches ensemble balance that's impossible to understand from notation alone.
• Rotate mallet percussion assignments across your section so students develop facility on multiple instruments rather than pigeonholing players by their initial comfort zone.

Use Book 2 during the second year of band instruction to deepen technique before advancing to the all-keys work in Book 3. The full band arrangements embedded throughout create natural rehearsal material that doesn't require supplemental scores, and the world music selections integrate cultural diversity into your regular rehearsal rotation.

• Stick control and rebound on snare drum
• Bass drum technique and dynamic control
• Mallet grip and mallets technique on keyboard percussion
• Reading rhythm and rest notation across all percussion instruments
• Ensemble balance and listening within the percussion section
• Timpani tuning awareness and muted and unmuted tone production
• Scale exercises in multiple keys
• Musical phrasing and expression in chorale-style arrangements