Rhythms & Rests: Percussion Book

Erickson avoids the trap of isolated rhythm worksheets by embedding every drill into a full band context. Your percussionists see exactly how the rhythms they're learning function in real repertoire, and the duet options give them immediate ensemble responsibility without requiring extra outside arrangements.

Working through these pages feels like building scaffolding. Early drills are straightforward and satisfying; as meters shift and rests accumulate, the challenge grows, but the etudes reward precision with genuine musicality. By the time students play the full band arrangements, they own the material completely.

This book serves percussion students in grades 5-12 who are ready to move beyond simple quarter-and-eighth-note patterns and need systematic training in rests and irregular meters. Directors looking for classroom-tested material that fills the gap between beginner method books and full solo literature will find this especially useful.

• Work through the prep rhythm drills before moving to the etudes; these establish muscle memory and pattern security that the more complex material demands.
• Use the duet etudes as sectional work with advanced students paired as peer leaders, creating a mentoring structure within your percussion section.
• Approach the changing meter passages (5/8, 7/8) as a counting and listening challenge first; have students speak the rhythm aloud before playing to internalize the pulse.
• Treat the full band selections as rehearsal staples during the unit they cap; they reinforce what students just learned while keeping momentum in sectional time.

Integrate one unit per rehearsal cycle into your sectional schedule, pairing the drills and etudes with the full band selection in the same week. This keeps percussion engaged with focused technique while connecting directly to music the full band hears, reinforcing why the rhythmic work matters.

• Reading and executing rests in mixed meter contexts
• Playing changing eighth-note patterns in meters such as 5/8 and 7/8
• Developing precision and independence through duet performance
• Coordinating rhythmic patterns with ensemble context
• Building reading fluency across extended rhythmic passages