Writing for the Percussion Section

[@rumar4u]

Wow Simon... without too much fanfare you have certainly made the Best Orchestral Percussion tutorial on KZbin. You have covered Lows, Mids, best uses and certainly by your example in 1/8 you have also covered the best accents as well. If in any future video you dive deeper, I'll be more than glad to watch it. Thank you

[@composingacademy8270]

Hi Ruben, oh my word thank you so much for your kind message. I'm glad you found it useful - it was a lot of fun to write the percussion parts and ultimately put it together for people to learn from!

[@41Fingers]

I don't know how I missed this channel, but glad I found it.

[@homeofcreation]

Your newsletter, that brought me here, is GOLD! Easy to read valuable tips without unnecessary embellishments.

[@mimix3555]

This might have been the best video I have ever seen regarding how to use the individual instruments to build up a song. I have been struggling to work with the timpani, but now I know that they are usually working in conjunction with many other instruments, including other low drums such as a gran cassa. Thank you for this information!

[@mr88cet]

Great overview, thanks! Being primarily a woodwind and strings player, it’s challenging, but way-fun, to take on a “mostly-about-rhythm” mindset. Percussion instruments strike (😂) me as, in a certain sense, the opposite of orchestral strings: they are by far the most varied and colorful timbres from instrument to instrument within the family, but each individual instrument has far less variety in melodic and articulational capability. Violins and ‘celli sound different, yes, but that timbral difference is minuscule compared to the timbral difference of, say, crash cymbals compared to bass drum. On the other hand, a ‘cello can play a huge range of pitches, even with microtonal precision, with arco, right-and left-hand pizzicato, spiccato, regular staccato, sul tasto, tremolo, natural and artificial harmonics, just name a few. Woodwinds are sorta mid-way between: Flute, oboe, and clarinet, sound more different than violin vs. viola, for example, but not nearly as wildly different as glockenspiel vs. snare drum. However woodwinds don’t have quite as much range nor as many intriguing articulational options as violin family instruments.

[@nadiabirkenstock_harpsong]

Great tutorial. thank you for creating this! I found it especially helpful that you displayed the sheet music along with the explanations and the audio.

[@flavioishimaru5399]

Simon is a great teacher, always learning from you new stuff 😅glad to find you 😁 Gratitude 🙏

[@composingacademy8270]

Wow, thank you so much for the kind words. Its my pleasure!

[@PatrickOkora]

Thank You so much, finally I know what to do with all those percussion instruments in my library. Really informative and exactly what I needed to hear

[@composingacademy8270]

I am so pleased you have found it useful! Thank you so much for watching and the comment!

[@ratnacomposerstudio]

The percussion categories have so well been explained along with slides and examples of sound too. Thanks.

[@composingacademy8270]

Thanks for the comment, I am so pleased the videos are helping you!

[@二加二]

I'm so appreciate, I learn so much from your tutorial videos. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@composingacademy8270]

I am so glad you find them informative, thank you so much for watching!

[@chucksl21]

Thank you so much for taking the time to teach this to others. Awesome video!!!

[@composingacademy8270]

Thanks so much! My pleasure!

[@beatsbybergstrup1427]

Great video! Thank you so much. I’ve been looking for a while on a tutorial on this. Great work, keep it up. I have learned much watching your videos

[@composingacademy8270]

Thanks so much - I'm glad it proved useful and happy the other videos have provided some value for you!

[@raoulhere]

Is there by chance a a possibility to listen to the track you have composed in the latter part of the video (14:11-16:22)? It sounds super amazing! Thank you!

[@ljdobles8104]

Your videos are top notch. I learn a lot! Gracias (thank you). Greetings from Mexico.

[@dannyherbert1420]

really useful information here, thanks so much. i especially appreciate the inclusion of recommended sample libraries

[@nitinmistry6280]

I've been watching your great video series into orchestral comps. I have learned a lot and wanted to thank you. I had a question... I would love to get a download for the Midi file.

[@audiomixexpert3175]

Another top quality video. Just what I was looking for! Thanks Simon.

[@composingacademy8270]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@ineedstuff8286]

i guess i was surprised one could layer all that and it not sound muddy and conflicted. Sounded incredible

[@composingacademy8270]

Hi, I really appreciate the comment, thank you!

[@GavinNellist]

Brilliant, much needed quality video on this topic. I really struggle to write for percussion, it always sounds so rigid and fake, hopefully I'll use some of this information now to help me improve.

[@composingacademy8270]

Thank you - I've also got a video called 'Epic Percussion Grooves' which breaks down the various parts, which you may find useful!

[@musiclad290]

Best tutorial on drums for me 🤯

[@Ioan_S]

What a great tutorial! I've taken many notes and I hope I could use them for my next epic song =)

[@composingacademy8270]

Glad you found it useful - thanks for watching!

[@josiahsimmons9866]

In the orchestras I've played in and been in the audience for, there are frequently five timpani. So, at least in my opinion, you can go up to about 7 tones used, because a percussionist will generally be comfortable retuning one or two of the drums periodically, just try not to have things move too quickly.

[@iluvsyphonfilter]

Fantastic! Very well explained and great examples!

[@composingacademy8270]

Thank for your kind comments and for watching!

[@ssurt_]

would love a guide on the keyboards (glockenspiel, xylophone, vibes, etc.)

[@MoodScores7538]

Very useful video. Keep it up.

[@composingacademy8270]

Thank you so much!

[@PapierschnitzelPapercraft]

Great presentation as usual. I always look forward to your next video. Your way of explaining makes it so easy to learn something new! Thanks!!!

[@composingacademy8270]

Thanks so much for watching and for your continued support!

[@cjavierd86]

Hello dear, how are you! Your channel is excellent, all its content is very good. You explain everything very well. Keep it up! Greetings from Argentina!

[@composingacademy8270]

Thanks so much for your kind words and support! Greetings from South West England!

[@TheNocturna001]

Good video but I obviously need more :) I have so many questions, like how do you make that build-up before each section? Are there any drum patterns mostly used in cinematic or classical music etc.

[@maplefoxx6285]

this is really good thanks! I already know how to make midi drums fairly well for a drum kit with humanizing the velocity and timing. I play drums, heavy metal and funk style both. this is a really good video, maybe the best i've seen yet. I love how you show it all layered. I have not seen this yet from anyone. I will be using True Strike from Project Sam mostly and some Taikos that this guy made for Sforzando player that sound just amazing.

[@composingacademy8270]

Hi, really appreciate you leaving a comment, thank you! I am also a drummer so appreciate what you are saying. I am pleased you have found it useful!

[@maplefoxx6285]

@@composingacademy8270 This was really really helpfun honestly i did not understand how to layer them before properly. Do you have any lessons or tutorials we can do at home and follow along with? I think my main weak point is harmonizing the sections together or making chords across individual sections. Or when to use deep heavy bass instruments. I did a few mock ups from video games, I think i need to study a lot of scores over and over to get more of an idea.. I can come up with melodies and ostinatos fairly well from playing a lot of guitar, but Harmonizing across the sections seems difficult for now.

[@kolz9387]

this is gold I could buy for that information!

[@composingacademy8270]

Haha thank you!

[@zqchz3227]

Do you have a video for composing with the pitched percussion instruments?

[@TastePolice378]

i would love a guide on orchestral mallets like glockenspiel and turbular bells

[@ashokflash]

Only one good video about percussion

[@SamuelRoyerLegault]

Just like bass drum and timpani, should we avoid playing too fast or complex rhythms on taikos and surdos? Or are they more similar to toms? Thanks for the videos that you make by the way, I always come back to them every now and then.

[@pierresilence]

Thankx, it is very nice tutorial.

[@composingacademy8270]

My pleasure - glad it was helpful!

[@rik-keymusic160]

Great video's ! and thank you for alle your effort you put into this !! :)

[@composingacademy8270]

My pleasure - I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@leo-ki9ye]

THANK YOU SO MUCH

[@sfJomusic]

thank you for the sharing !

[@MECHINEAU49]

Hello, thank you for all these clear and precise explanations. I wanted to know, is there a mix on what you're showing? EQ? Compressor? thank you for everything

[@Andmagic77]

Super! Thanks)

[@composingacademy8270]

My pleasure!

[@micahbijon_]

Great video

[@composingacademy8270]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed!

[@imanifilmz6552]

You're an amazing composer following you closely

[@composingacademy8270]

Thanks so much for your kind words!

[@epicdude257]

if you want a more "experimental" sound on the gong i found out you can rosin some spray can caps and just scrape them against the gong

[@NurbolatBalginbayev]

Great! Understanding dummies like me!!!!

[@xilvnta980]

OMG TY

[@ishagshafeeg]

Awesome. Due you coach for composing drum line percussion as well? Thanks.

[@composingacademy8270]

Thank you! I've never actually written anything for drum line percussion before, but I love to watch performances of it. Some of the ensembles are amazing!

[@khalidrafi4909]

It’s helpfull sir. Can I join your music accademy?

[@composingacademy8270]

Thanks for watching! At the moment Composing Academy is just on youtube!

[@cheribarkman1784]

Cool

[@timjonesguitar]

HOw did you program the tympani rolls? Looks like just one note there.

[@composingacademy8270]

Hi Tim, the Roll patch was from Spitfire's Percussion Library - they have 'roll' articulation, which has a pre programmed roll baked in. So a single midi note can trigger a sound that sounds like multiple hits. We can then obviously change the length, dynamic etc. I hope that helps?

[@timjonesguitar]

@@composingacademy8270 ah ok, I thought maybe there was something in Cubase I could program with the MIDI. Thank you!

[@ytinutroppo]

But whats with the speed? I dunno why but it sounds like sth missing. I playing „düm - düm düm | düm - düm düm“ and than I want to make a transition to the next part with a „düm düm düm“ but sth is wrong😅

[@deveshsolanki8875]

What's use string runs? & how it write? Make video

[@composingacademy8270]

Hi, I have a video on Writing for Strings, check out my channel for the video. Thanks for watching"

[@danielezekiel97]

What software ,programme do you use?

[@composingacademy8270]

Its Cubase Pro 11

[@danielezekiel97]

@@composingacademy8270 thanks . sounds great , I use notperformer , do you think its superior in many ways to Noteperformer ?

[@entropylovesyou]

please keep in mind that most middle school/high school percussion sections don’t have taiko’s and surdrom’s! so if your writing for that level of percussion, you wont want to include those instruments

[@composingacademy8270]

That is a very good point - thank you! I guess I was primarily aiming the video at people who would write music that would only stay in the DAW environment with samples etc. Thank you for your feedback!

[@Ismael.2010]

what is the name of the instrument was played between 14:37 and 14:47 that has a metallic feeling?

[@BryanWeltonIII]

It's an anvil

[@Ismael.2010]

@@BryanWeltonIII thank you so much sir

[@imanifilmz6552]

Which version of cubase is that?

[@composingacademy8270]

Its Cubase Pro 11

[@agorgedslug]

For beginners, great. But I actually clicked on this video to see about how to write for percussion, i.e. notation and articulation symbol use to convey what you are here simply using automation for, so not overly informative on that front. Thanks anyway.

[@RMS777]

Like84🥚

[@composingacademy8270]

Thanks!

[@ansemvanverte]

Idk what english teacher told you that periods and commas are 3 second breaks but pls cut the silence out if you're gonna pause at the end of every phrase, my adhd ass can't focus this long

[@composingacademy8270]

Hi, still working on the balance between delivering slowly vs too quickly. Clearly I am not there yet! Thank you for the feedback, will look at improving for future videos.

[@ansemvanverte]

@@composingacademy8270 Hey, sorry if that sounded aggressive, commenting often feels like old-man-yelling-at-clouds when no one replies lol. Just want to add that whatever hangups I have with the voiceover, these videos are super helpful and informative and I hugely appreciate you doing them

[@kdakan]

I liked the music but the bass drums are too much cluttered to my ears, I would use them less

[@composingacademy8270]

Thanks for the honesty!

[@JohnSk82]

Nice one mate

[@composingacademy8270]

Thank you!

[@6thour592]

The percussion with the strings sounds majestic af

[@composingacademy8270]

Appreciate it, thank you!