Band Today, Part 1: Auxiliary Percussion (Tambourine, Wood Block, Triangle, Claves, Maracas, Suspended Cymbal & Sleigh Bells) Book

Ployhar designed this book with auxiliary percussion as the focus, not as an afterthought. Students learning these instruments get dedicated instruction and meaningful repertoire from someone who understands how percussion fits into the full band sound. The book's integration with the broader Contemporary Band Course means percussion students can participate fully in ensemble reading from day one rather than sitting out while pitched instruments get started.

Working through this book reveals the rhythm and color that auxiliary percussion brings to band music. Each instrument has its own voice: the bright crack of the wood block, the shimmer of the suspended cymbal, the jingle of sleigh bells. Students discover that these aren't decorative sounds but essential textural elements that shape the band's overall character.

This book serves beginning auxiliary percussionists in middle or high school concert bands and instrument classes, as well as students receiving private instruction on these specific percussion instruments. Teachers using the full Contemporary Band Course will find this the natural counterpart for any student assigned to auxiliary percussion rather than snare drum, bass drum, or mallets.

• Establish clear stick control before introducing the instruments themselves. Have students practice basic mallets and hand techniques on practice pads so they build muscle memory for consistent tone and technique.
• Coordinate with pitched instrument rehearsals to ensure percussion students understand their rhythmic role within the full band texture, not just their individual part.
• Use the variety of instruments to assign students at different ability levels within the same percussion section, allowing peer learning and differentiation.
• Isolate rhythmic patterns and practice them as a percussion ensemble before adding them to band arrangements, building confidence and precision.

Start auxiliary percussionists with this book alongside your band's first-year repertoire so they can participate in full ensemble reading from the beginning of the course. The 32-page scope lets you pace instruction across an entire semester or year, building proficiency gradually. Cross-reference material here with the full band method book to ensure your percussion students develop the same foundational concepts as their bandmates on pitched instruments.

• Basic technique and grip on tambourine, wood block, triangle, claves, maracas, suspended cymbal, and sleigh bells
• Reading rhythm notation in common band time signatures
• Matching tone quality and dynamics to the ensemble sound
• Understanding role and function of auxiliary percussion within concert band texture
• Coordination and rhythmic precision with the full band