Technic Today, Part 2: Auxiliary Percussion (Tambourine, Wood Block, Triangle, Claves, Maracas, Suspended Cymbal & Sleigh Bells) Book

Ployhar wrote this book with full understanding of how young percussionists actually develop facility on auxiliary instruments, layering technique within contexts that sound musical from day one. The exercises progress logically without the disconnected feel of pure technical drills, making it genuinely useful as a reinforcement tool alongside Band Today rather than something students resent practicing.

These exercises feel purposeful rather than mechanical. Ployhar structures each piece so students engage musically while refining stroke clarity, tone production, and rhythmic precision on tambourine, wood block, triangle, claves, maracas, suspended cymbal, and sleigh bells.

Intermediate band programs using Band Today, Part Two or any curriculum at the same level who need focused technical work on non-pitched percussion. This book serves percussionists in grades 5-8 who have mastered basic mallet control and are ready to develop independence and accuracy across a wider palette of instruments.

• Establish consistent grip and posture for each instrument before running through a full page; students often rush into exercises with sloppy technique that then becomes habit.
• Isolate any rhythm patterns that appear across multiple instruments first, then layer in the specific stroke technique for that percussion voice.
• Assign one student per part and rotate through the ensemble so every percussionist encounters all six instruments; this prevents specialization too early and builds versatility.
• Use a practice metronome at tempos slightly slower than marked to lock articulation and tone quality before pushing for speed.

Use this book as a parallel track to your main method text, assigning one or two pages weekly during sectional rehearsal. The 24-page length makes it ideal for a full semester of supplementary work without overwhelming students, and it pairs naturally with any concert repertoire requiring auxiliary percussion.

• Proper grip and stroke technique for each individual percussion instrument
• Reading rhythmic notation specific to non-pitched percussion voices
• Controlling dynamics and tone quality across different mallets and beaters
• Executing rhythmic patterns with consistent articulation and precision
• Building independence on auxiliary parts while listening to harmonic context