Building Percussion Technique: Book

This book solves a real coordination challenge: students need focused technique work that sits alongside their main method, not replacing it. Feldstein's decision to anchor exercises to the same conceptual progression as major methods means zero curriculum friction and maximum reinforcement of what students are already learning.

Clear and methodical. The exercises feel like scaffolding rather than busywork; each one has a job to do, and students sense that they're building real skills in a deliberate order. The availability of solo, duet, and trio formats keeps the work fresh and social.

Beginning percussion students who are working through a primary method and need targeted, focused technique building without reinventing their lesson structure. Directors and private instructors use this to plug gaps in hand development, independence, and rhythmic control while keeping the learning path consistent and logical.

• Start with the solo versions to lock in individual hand control before moving to duets or trios, which add the layer of listening and responding to other parts.
• Use the duet and trio arrangements as ensemble rehearsal: they develop rhythmic independence and train ears in a low-stakes setting.
• Work through the exercises in the order presented rather than jumping ahead; the sequence mirrors how fundamental concepts build, so skipping steps can create gaps in muscle memory.
• Apply each exercise to the mallets or sticks your student is using in their main method, ensuring technique transfers directly to repertoire they're performing.

Assign it as a parallel workbook to your chosen beginner method, giving students a source for extra technique repetition during the first year or two of study. The duet and trio options also give small group lessons a concrete ensemble activity that reinforces what students are learning individually.

• Hand control and grip consistency across different mallet types
• Rhythmic accuracy in single-line and multi-part contexts
• Independence between hands and feet
• Sight-reading of fundamental notation and articulations
• Ensemble awareness and listening through duet and trio performance