S*t*r*i*c*t-ly [Strictly] Technic for Band: Percussion Book

Swearingen's approach treats percussion fundamentals as serious musicianship work, not filler. The key-based organization means your percussionists aren't just keeping time—they're developing the same harmonic literacy your wind players are building, which transforms how they listen and respond in ensemble.

Opening this book, you feel the deliberate architecture underneath every exercise. There's no busywork here—each page builds logically from the last, and the keys anchor every concept. Students recognize they're learning something real.

Third-level band percussionists working in full ensemble settings or pursuing private study need this resource. Whether you're refining the snare technique of a developing player or deepening the harmonic awareness of an advanced section, Swearingen's systematic approach speaks directly to where percussion students actually are.

• Start each unit's warm-ups slowly and deliberately, focusing on consistent mallet control and stick height before adding tempo. Speed follows clean technique.
• Rotate through the eight units across your rehearsal calendar rather than completing them sequentially. This keeps daily warm-ups fresh while reinforcing concepts over weeks.
• Use the chorale sections to bridge between technical drills and full-band playing. Have percussionists voice these harmonically, matching the exact chord the band is playing.
• Assign specific units to individual students in private lessons while the full band works through different units in rehearsal. This customization maximizes both group and individual growth.

Integrate this into your rehearsal opener for band classes meeting regularly, cycling through units aligned with your wind repertoire's harmonic content. In private lessons, it stands alone as a complete semester's worth of technical and musical growth.

• Mallet control and stick technique across snare, timpani, and auxiliary percussion
• Major and parallel minor key construction and harmonic function
• Reading rhythmic figures in context of harmonic progression
• Ensemble listening and vertical alignment with sustained chords
• Rudimentary development and independence between hands