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Sound Orchestra: Ensemble Development String or Full Orchestra: Percussion Book

$8.99 USD
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Sound Orchestra: Ensemble Development String or Full Orchestra Cover Image
Sound Orchestra: Ensemble Development String or Full Orchestra: Percussion Book

Sound Orchestra: Ensemble Development String or Full Orchestra: Percussion Book

Warm-Up Exercises and Chorales to Improve Blend, Balance, Intonation, Phrasing, and Articulation

By Bob Phillips, Peter Boonshaft, Chris Bernotas, Jim Palmer, and David Pope

Item: 00-49814
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Description
Sound Orchestra: Ensemble Development for String or Full Orchestra provides a comprehensive and clear approach to developing ensemble performance skills at the intermediate through advanced level with the goal of improving technical facility and musicianship in the string or full orchestra. This method focuses on improving an ensemble's tone quality, intonation, and technique with 270 exercises grouped by key signature, including chorales and orchestral themes, that students will find both a joy and challenge to work through.

Sound Orchestra thoroughly complements performance music for string or full orchestra by isolating and reinforcing each ensemble concept, focusing on improving blend, balance, phrasing, pitch accuracy, and articulation. Additional features: Percussion parts are included * Violin 3 book that replicates the viola book is available * Optional piano and saxophone parts are included * Teacher's scores are available for string orchestra or full orchestra * For intermediate through advanced string orchestra alone, full orchestra, or string orchestra with any combination of wind and percussion players.

Written by By Bob Phillips, Peter Boonshaft, Chris Bernotas, Jim Palmer, and David Pope, this addition to the revolutionary Sound Innovations series will help your students create beautiful music.

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Additional Details
Series: Sound Orchestra: Ensemble Development
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 48
ISBN10: 1-4706-4836-9
ISBN13: 978-1-4706-4836-7
UPC: 038081569154
SKU: 00-49814

More about this title

About the Composer: Bob Phillips

Bob Phillips

Bob Phillips (b. 1953) has shaped string education through his work as a composer, pedagogue, and conductor. Over four decades, he authored more than 25 instructional series, including all six levels of Sound Innovations and genre-focused collections like Jazz Philharmonic, Rock Philharmonic, and Mariachi Philharmonic. His compositions and arrangements have been performed by thousands of student ensembles annually, and his award-winning works regularly appear at the Midwest Clinic.

During 27 years directing the string program in Saline, Michigan, Phillips built an ensemble of over 700 students that became a national model for both classical and eclectic repertoire. He founded the Saline Fiddlers Philharmonic, which performed internationally and at the White House. His conducting experience spans youth symphonies, all-state orchestras across multiple states, and prestigious summer programs including Interlochen and Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.

Why we love this

The percussion book isolates and reinforces fundamental ensemble concepts without requiring the full ensemble to stop and adjust. Percussionists work through the same carefully sequenced exercises as strings, building precision in intonation, blend, and articulation while developing the listening skills they need to lock in with ensemble rhythms and textures.

What to expect

Working through these 270 exercises creates a shared musical language between strings and percussion. Students move from isolated technical drills to complete orchestral themes, gradually building confidence in intonation accuracy and ensemble cohesion without the pressure of performance repertoire.

Who it's for

Percussion players in intermediate through advanced string orchestras or full orchestras who need focused training in ensemble fundamentals. Percussionists benefit from the same systematic approach to blend and balance that the strings receive, making this essential for ensembles where percussion is integral to the sound rather than supplementary.

How to get the most out of it

  • Match the articulation weight and duration of the rhythm section to the string sound in each chorale; too heavy a touch will obscure the intonation work the strings are practicing.
  • Use the teacher's score to verify which exercises your percussion section should perform; not all are scored for all instruments.
  • Pay attention to dynamic shaping across the full phrase, not just individual measures, so the percussion supports rather than dominates the ensemble's tone production.

How to use it

Begin each rehearsal with a short exercise matched to your string orchestra's current key work; the grouping by key signature means percussion stays connected to the ensemble's learning sequence. Use the chorale sections as warm-ups before tackling the full orchestra's performance music, since they reinforce the same musical concepts in a lower-stakes setting.

Skills your students will build

  • Reading percussion parts written specifically for ensemble development rather than standalone works
  • Matching articulation and dynamic shaping to the harmonic content and string tone quality
  • Listening for intonation accuracy in the ensemble and responding with precision timekeeping
  • Understanding harmonic function through rhythmic patterns organized by key signature
  • Developing balance awareness so percussion supports rather than dominates the overall sound

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