Percussion: Star of the Show?

[@PugCuber]

As a percussionist myself, I’m very glad you made this video. Seeing you talk about people like Steve Reich, John Cage, and even talking with Gene Koshinski fills me with so much joy Also, Correction for 10:26: It its entirety, _Drumming_ is between 55 and 85 minutes in length, and Movement 1 is for 4 PAIRS of tuned bongos

[@RyanAlexanderBloom]

In HS I was the only percussionist. I’d play bass, snare, and cymbals for classical pieces at the same time on the kit. If those parts had rests, if I had a free hand, or if something else was more important, I’d play tamb, woodblock, cowbell, etc. as well. I later subbed for an orchestra where we played orf’s Carmina Burana with only 3 percussionists... a timpanist, a keyboardist, and me. I played every other part to the extent possible. Percussion is and always has been a total adventure at all times. It’s just literally any instrument (or object) no other serious musician wants to play.

[@stefanalexanderlungu1503]

Jesus, I can't imagine how you'd do that with any fewer than 5 or 6 players.

[@FreakieFan]

What I love so much about Bernstein's music for West Side Story is how some of his pieces have percussion as the main instruments, almost carrying the melody. When I watched that movie, it was the first time I realized how much percussion can do.

[@aayyiss]

I personally love to compose for percussion. They have the most range of sound in the musical canon. One can do almost anything, from imitation of the natural world to multi-movement classicaly-influenced works. I personally think that it still has not been explored enough, so I hope the future brings a lot more!

[@TheFunguy02]

One genre that uses percussion heavily is the Marching Arts. Marching Arts in general have always been a weird genre of music that is pretty unique. Marching Arts arrangers have the biggest problem of "how do I acoustically express emotion or a story to thousands of people, hundreds of meters away; while also using impact and volume to stun and wow the crowd". I think you should look into it cause its such an interesting topic from a concert point of view.

[@maxalain9948]

The marching arts go hard. Drum corps is totally a genre in its own right

[@bricolagefantasy7291]

I think the brazillians have answered if percussion can emotionally engaged or not. ... sexy brazillians helps too.

[@BigHeadCross]

this need to be highlighted

[@danielmeixner7125]

Check out Eric Carr's channel, EMC Productions. He's a quad player with the US marines.

[@Summonpouchit]

God yes please Drum Corps and specifically indoor percussion are amazing and deserve so much more attention

[@juanarreguin1]

0:28 love the Gene Koshinski shout out! He’s a fantastic composer for anyone looking into some creative ways for percussion writing!

[@givertayk]

He's got a snarky puppy shirt. I trust him.

[@finnmckinlay]

We see you Bruce we see you

[@zachhowarth7926]

I put Swerve on my senior recital at undergrad. It's such an amazing piece! Gene Koshinski is a damn mastermind. I loved hearing his and your thoughts on the world of percussion! Much appreciated.

[@DarkSideofSynth]

Mahler knew it already: more cowbell! ;)

[@endrawes0]

I've got a disease... There's only one cure... More cowbell

[@ashleythorpe7933]

Strauss also!

[@DarkSideofSynth]

@@ashleythorpe7933 Yup! Those were the times ;) You could see cows grazing more often than we can now, I guess. They had no TR-808, though :)))

[@HaliPuppeh]

The best book I've ever found on percussion is "How to Write for Percussion" by Samuel Z. Solomon. It's an invaluable resource on my shelf

[@evangrover8414]

Sam is the man. He also has some supplemental materials on his Facebook. Plus, I’m playing on a few of his videos... so check it out

[@nicholassamuel9334]

I came here to say this

[@Raffael-Tausend]

Hey, that is the Liederhalle in the Thumbnail, just where I live.

[@Butternades]

I'm a Percussion student at Ohio State, and we as a studio focus very heavily on percussion compositions, performance, and pedagogy, and below I've listed my thoughts on percussion music from all three perspectives. 1. Percussion instruments can be melodious even without a defined pitch (all percussion instruments have a definite fundamental pitch, for instance my triangle is tuned to an E natural though overtones wash it out). William Kraft's "French Suite" is a prime example of using novel unpitched instruments to create melody within an established style(since it was mentioned in the video, Kraft premiered Zyklus in America, and recorded L'Histoire du Soldat). 2. Percussion works can come from nearly any type of inspiration, from a cool rhythmic concept, layering of multiple parts to create a macrorhythm/melody, or concepts of new sounds or ideas. John Cage did works within each of these ideas, and I personally am working on a marimba duet involving layering various 12/8 patterns over one another as well as including modal and pentatonic melodic ideas. My inspirations include the West African Bembe Bell Pattern (a 12/8 clave if you will), Steve Reich's explorations into these rhythms, which clapping music came from, and Mark Duggan's Kwasi, which was the impetus for these ideas. 3. Ugly sounds can sound beautiful and interesting on percussion instruments, even "ugly" chords can sound good on a marimba if they are voiced well, and this can allow sonic ideas to speak through percussion that cant be done in different settings. Also, feel free to create new instruments (if you define how to make them) however, please think of substitute instruments if they are expensive or rare, such as parsifal bells. 4. Percussion music spans nearly any genre on earth, from traditional african songs, to Bach Cello concetos on marimba, to ragtime, to even singing. Any stylistic idea can be expressed through percussion. A cool concept i learned about recently is Glenn Kotche's Mobile, a drumset based multiple percussion solo layered over electronic drone music. 5. Percussion music can be notated however the composer wishes, however this comes with the caveat that explanation is needed. We do not like interpreting incorrectly the notes you put on paper because it isnt explained well. Many of Cage's and Lou Harrison's works make very detailed notes for the types of sounds they want in their works. 6. If writing for multiple instruments per player, it would be very nice if a recommended set up were included, much as WIlliam Kraft does in French Suite. I choose to modify that set up to make Gigue easier, but it is much better than making my own. David Maslanka and Michael Colgrass didn't suggest set ups or sometimes even define what players play what instrument, and this adds much more work for the performer before they can begin rehearsing (Child's Garden of Dreams and Winds of Nagual are good examples for each composer respectively) If anyone is interested in some ideas for mallet ensemble i highly recommend listening to Thank You by Ivan Trevino, Torched and Wreck by David Skidmore, and Marimba Quartet by Daniel Levitan (particularly movement 2). Each of these explore how repeated rhythms can create interested melodies just by certain notes sticking out of the color, but while the Skidmore is somewhat minimalist, the Levitan really shows how multiple moving lines can also create this rich polyphony that just makes a piece more interesting through multiple listenings, with each providing a different overall line to the audience.

[@MsErfwe]

Thanks for writing all this! Definitely going to check those pieces out.

[@333RoCkSkAtE333]

Hey David! Great video! Just wanted to clarify that Ionisation is now known NOT to be the first piece entirely written for percussion but Amadeo Roldan's Ritmicas 5 & 6, written a year before in 1930.

[@Mukundanghri]

David thank you for your work. I am always working in isolation. Writing for percussion is just what I am working on and remarkably enough your video popped up. Again, thank you for expanding my mind.

[@maxalain9948]

I finally learn that those door slammy film scores percussion instruments are called taiko drums. Or impact drums. Never knew that till recently. Cool stuff!

[@poasful]

7:30 John Cage producing some ASMR

[@PERCUSSIVEMUSIC]

Thank you for raising awareness for our cause!

[@ivanjello4249]

Atticus by Doug Overmier is a really cool Jazz Percussion piece with marimbas, vibes, bells, and drum set. The whole album it's from is really good too with O-Zone percussion group

[@joshforletta7648]

Gene koshinski is amazing! I’m happy to see him in one of your videos!!

[@alexandrefortuny]

This video is absolutely great to understand the evolution of percussion. In addition, the conversation with Koshinsky is very inspiring and illuminating. Thank you Bruce!

[@odysseuslaertiades1528]

Thank you for this very informative overview of percussion in modern orchestral music! As a drummer, I have a problem, though: I love to play or to listen to jazz, funk, or various kinds of Latin etc. These musical styles and rhythms appeal to me on an emotional and 'motoric' basis. Modern pieces of 'serious' orchestral percussion don't have that effect. I try to understand their stucture and the composer's intentions, but that happens on a purely intellectual level. These pieces all sound pretentious and 'clever', and it takes a lot of effort to sit through them whereas in the aforementioned styles it is pure fun. But I realize that this is a completely subjective impression.

[@dmperc]

As a percussionist and percussion teacher - thank you for this!!!

[@RedstoneManiac13]

Great video! Really enjoy having Gene on; he's been a composer that I've watched for a while (as a percussionist), and I love how his writing is very fun to listen to. I've been meaning to do As One for a while with a friend of mine. A few comments: I feel like the explosion of percussion in the orchestra comes with a great danger, namely that if not written carefully, it can drown out the rest of the orchestra REALLY quickly. Also, I'm not sure a lot of percussion parts are extremely necessary, and I've found that there isn't as much care taken to choose what instrument is truly important and adds to the rest of the ensemble. This is unfortunately present in modern Wind Ensembles, where massive walls of percussion seem to both contribute very little to the overall ensemble and draw attention away from the wind instruments. There is absolutely nothing wrong with using a lot of instruments, but they have to be chosen carefully and with a clear purpose in mind, much of which I feel is not necessary. But where I've found that percussion REALLY shines is in solo literature and concerti, where it can the face of the ensemble and is the main focus for the audience. Now that isn't to say that you shouldn't be careful when writing the piece itself in percussion in it, and really think through if something is necessary or not. And in chamber music, percussion brings the central problem of balance to the forefront; if walls of percussion can drown out and fight against the orchestra, what can percussion do in a chamber setting, then, with other orchestral instruments? It's a fun challenge for the modern composer to think through and handle.

[@TheAkramjameel]

thank you for being informative & educative Mr Bruce

[@frogandspanner]

Many years ago I went to a performance (I think it was in the "Towards the Millennium" series) by Rattle's Band at Symphony Hall. There was a quadruple percussion section, and at the end of the piece the brass section donned ear defenders, and we were presented with a cresendissimus of volcanic proportion, ending with what I titled "a four gong conclusion". I just can't remember what the piece was. Any ideas?

[@Asa_Morris]

Write some percussion duet/solo pieces, Mr. Bruce! I was actually on your website not too long ago looking for rep for my senior recital (which is now undergoing social-distance modifications), and couldn't find much besides the Consolation of Rain. Would love to see a cool marimba piece or something ;)

[@piteoswaldo]

A big moment that changed my perception on percussion music was first listening to the Brazilian group Uakti. Their songs bring me tranquility in a way I thought wasn't possible with a sound so heavily percussive. For example, listen to their song 'Trilobita'. They also have a lot in common with 'the wizard' Hermeto Pascoal, having a playfulness with unusual instruments and everyday objects.

[@OJASCKI]

1:38 *boing* goes the drumstick. Jazz-cat approves.

[@Ged____]

You should do a video about indoor drumline or drum corps! Could be interesting

[@bricolagefantasy7291]

Yes. That would be interesting. Specially taking note what cool jazz or bossa nova are doing for drum in quiet sound.

[@kwabzycomposer]

If anyone here loves crazy percussion, check out the composer John Mackey. His percussion writing is seriously the best ever. Great examples are his pieces "Wine-Dark Sea" and especially "The Frozen Cathedral."

[@ericthomas7643]

Hi David! In answering your question about multi percussion solos and or notation, there’s a great book by Michael Udow called the Contemporary Percussionist. He actually notates everything on the staff itself, just like if it were regular music. It’s an interesting and probably a more intuitive way in writing for solo percussion. And as you very well know, it’s all dependent on the composer, whether it’s his thoughts or ideas...it’s his message what he or she tries to get across. I have the distinct pleasure in performing many different types of styles of music as a percussionist, composer and arranger. Some of which is John Cage’s Child of Tree, Third Construction, Xenakis “Rebounds” and etc. Love to chat with you sometime about it.

[@juantesonepercusion]

Really enjoyed this video, as a percussionist (like everybody else) I thank you...

[@juanligorria8606]

emanuel sejournee, alice gomez, mitchell peters, and ney rosauro are some of the composers who have written beautiful music for marimba, vibraphone or percussion ensamble.

[@josepmir4530]

Don't forget Eric sammut

[@FernieCanto]

I was lucky to watch Rosauro and his ensemble live a couple of ears ago. Very eye-opening (and ear-opening, too).

[@hugobouma]

5:30 The ashtray on the right of course being an essential part of the drum kit.

[@davidhodgin8900]

Thank you David!

[@88KeysToPlay]

Steven Schick was a professor at my school before he moved on to UC San Diego. He was famous for performing pieces by Stockhausen and Xenakis. His insight on percussion is amazing and liberating.

[@d.lawrencemiller5755]

DAMN that share solo was amazing

[@AlanKey86]

David - can I just say a big thank you for including all those references. I confess that I got very distracted by them and had to come back and watch your video much later!

[@InfamyLP]

this video was really interesting and gave me a lot of creative inspiration for my music! i used to play percussion in school and this video reminded me why i loved it. thanks mr. bruce

[@druganovam]

Hurray, new video!! Waiting for this moment so much! I've been watched almost all your videos during this quarantine, and I'm very grateful for that♥

[@charliemoore1036]

i've been waiting for this video for so longgggg

[@ixamedia6572]

Truly enjoy your content!

[@Nooticus]

Great video as always! Thanks!

[@Nullllus]

4:24 that's freaking blastbeat!

[@ezrauxowilliams6983]

Dave, you should check out Carl Vine's Percussion Symphony! Australian composers tend to have an interesting approach to percussion composition - Elena Kats-Chernin and Peter Sculthorpe come to mind.

[@MarkWladika]

What a terrific review of percussion, thank you David. Although it makes me wonder further about the vibrant percussion styles of Jazz and Rock and how much that has influenced modern classical music. - A little Ginger Baker with your Evelyn Glennie?

[@quintessenceSL]

Ya. I mean Terry Bozzio has been trying to meet orchestral music half-way. It seems kinda snooty not to incorporate the modern trap kit and the innovations from popular western music. Like speaking a language but omitting all the verbs.

[@ohmydogschool727]

Thank you so much! This was really interesting!

[@tbopskitty123]

I’ve seen Gene perform! Great guy

[@Aleph_Null_Audio]

Time to finish my "Suite for Graduated Mixing Bowls"!

[@bashtracks]

Great stuff, keep it coming!

[@blakescanlen]

Hi David! Would love to see a video with a tour of your home studio/office setup. Cheers!

[@JFrenchman]

Normal Composers: "How do you make interesting percussion music?" WGI Indoor Percussion, Drum Corps, Rock Bands, Mbalax, Gnawa Musicians, and pretty much any musical tradition that isn't western european with a few major exceptions: "Yes"

[@zugo-tg7125]

Where’s Taiko?

[@mathaeus]

Just want to share a personal eureka moment with a composed percussion piece: Per Nørgård's Waves. In many ways an extremely simple piece with some very simple ideas, but I couldn't wrap my head around how one would notate something that is so mechanical, yet breaks the grid of the notational system in such a profound way. I ended up buying the score out of curiosity and in a lot of ways his solution was painfully obvious. Can recommend 10/10. Thanks for amazing videos Bruce!

[@juliusseizure591]

Check out Nørgård's symphonies too!

[@christianefleurant7089]

Good to see that you're O.K. Very interesting topic, but my mind stick on the "crown" of the snare drum. I really like the sound of the metal stick on the frame. Thank you from Montréal,Québec, Canada.

[@skroll71]

I am new to playing percussion and am struggling to find my «right to be in the orchester» as I feel that what we do is not understood by the «real» musicians. Your video is very inspiring and motivating. Thank you!

[@maxinegabrielah]

I couldn't help but associate Steven Schick's speak on this video with a phenomenon that has been happening here on Brazil since 2014. Our country has been in a political crisis for almost a decade now, from popular manifestations against government's corruption in 2013 (which then escalated to what lead to Dilma Rousself's impeachment in 2015) to the recent protests against Bolsonaro's ideological agenda and his posture about the Coronavirus epidemic here. Birthed from this social instability is a type of popular manifestation called Panelaço, which consists of protesters hitting frying pans (usually with a wooden or metal spoon) as a mean of showing popular dissatisfaction or even support for authorities aligned with the society's will. It really came to my mind after Schick's vision about the percussion being the voice of the people who have none - even tho the Panelaço thing started as a bourgeois movement. As a social phenomenon it really ties up with our West African origins - as the african ethnicities that were enslaved throughout four centuries in our country brought the rhythm patterns (and most of the percussion that would become the so-called Brazilian percussion) from which Brazil's musical identity is recognized all over the world. This was a huge ass comment lol but at last I wanted to thank David for the really informative and interesting video 💜 Wish you people forces to deal with this situation we all are facing right now, things will be better!

[@j.cordero6965]

David Bruce rocking a Snarky Puppy shirt? Hell yes.

[@Tylervrooman]

Thanks for making great content!! Im a new fan and love it!

[@anabeatrizbcs]

amazing work!

[@pdrfurtado]

this is great, thank you!

[@DCPImages]

Brilliant!

[@andreamundt]

Thank you for this video! I went over to Gene Koshinski and found a new fascinating channel/musician !!! :D

[@ml-ei3nz]

Great video but you did not mention Bartok. To me as a drummer and percussionist one of the first great writers for Percussion in combination with other instruments, so that I had really the feeling of equality. Also a feeling That a real composed part was written. Just check out the Perc parts from Bartoks concerto for orchestra.

[@distorson]

And than in pop music there are so many styles and entire genre focused around drums and rhythms. Well of course often those are synthesized sounds or natural sounds played back (sampled) with a machine. And than they might not even be played but being programmed and sequenced. But still music, percussion, organized sounds - compositions :)

[@haloandkalos]

all i know about writing for just percussion is that one of my high school band mates wrote a competition solo for marching tenor set that used a lint roller to strike the low drum and get the noise when it unstuck. it was incredible.

[@benberkowitzmusic]

Finally percussion gets awareness!!!

[@ninetyone9191]

I ended up playing percussion because I joined marching band in high school without knowing an instrument besides piano. Now that I'm in college, I can't imagine an instrument fitting me better, and I have noticed that wind ensemble and concert band and other classical band music really puts percussion on the side. Most composers don't even bother to arrange the percussion parts properly. The majority of the first few days of rehearsal of a new piece, percussion has to sort out and arrange our own parts because the same instrument part will be listed across 5 different parts. All that effort only for the percussion to do minimal to serve the piece. On top of that, the wind instruments are often unaware of these problems, so the percussion section just seem incompetent and lazy, which divides the band even outside of rehearsals. This point isn't brought to attention in music ed classes either, so professors who aren't invested in percussion will often have this same idea of percussionists. It's a really sad state of affairs, and sometimes infuriating, that an entire section of instruments with their own involved technique and developed sound is so discriminated. I'm surprised a doctor or someone else of credibility hasn't written extensively about this already.

[@riparia2702]

Bruce, gad damn, that was such an interesting topic and video! Thank you so much, I really apreciate it. Sad that I didn't know this before writing the piece I just send of to a competition... Well whatever. It was really helpful to see the scores. Thank you a lot!

[@Butternades]

If you are trying to write another piece for percussion, I have another comment on this video with many suggestions and ideas that would make any performer's life easier, primarily quality of life ideas, and piece examples if you need a springboard

[@giuliorasi]

2:50 the great percussionist Pedro Estevan!!

[@qwerty_and_azerty]

19:58 “Fanfare for four flowerpots”

[@doctormock1]

As always, I enjoyed your video very much and found it to be quite educational. However, despite the one of a kind nature of his instruments, I was disappointed that you didn't even mention Harry Partch. Stay healthy. Looking forward to you next video.

[@sivadepilif]

Percussion is the spice of music.

[@brianspenst1374]

If you want an expanded history of the drum kit look up the series that was made with Sticky Wicket. He collected a bunch of early 20th century drum kits.

[@FlameRat_YehLon]

I think in China, it's totally normal, and probably been a thing for centuries, that solo shows would have solo percussion performance. The most well known thing might be the Kuaiban (快板), which usually go along with some sort of talk show (and can probably be considered some kind of "bard music" I guess... Even though there're zero melodic sounds it's still for telling stories nonetheless). But there are also percussion kits (that has a few drums and a few snares). Also Chinese opera can sometimes have only vocal and percussion parts, without any melodic instruments.

[@lorenzopasini8309]

Cool video!

[@ErebosGR]

Pity you didn't mention Japanese taiko drumming, specifically kumi-daiko ensembles, like Kodo or Ondekoza. The physical stamina it requires is astounding.

[@zugo-tg7125]

Ikr, even commenters are forgetting it.

[@MikolaiStroinski]

Thank you.

[@mrtnsnp]

Hmm, tomorrow I'll listen again to the Terry Bozzio solo albums. And teh duets for good measure.

[@CoolDudeClem]

Percussion is also the star of modern pop too, or at least the kick drum is, seems to be the lead instument in modern pop.

[@EliPorter456]

Student percussionist here, if your confused about clear notation, or if something is possible to play for your composition, etc. Just let us know, percussion is a completely different world and we know that.

[@Juandrumx]

Thank you for your historical and awareness of Percussion. Hopping I learn more and more about percussion. How can I get a copy of that snare percussion piece's music to Incorporated in my Jazz drumming. I know I can watch the video and copy it that way, but I would like to have the sheet music from the author. God bless you. Have a blessed Easter weekend. JCT:)

[@stevechrollo8074]

Check jim casella’s youtube channel for his marching percussion arrangements of classical music

[@dimllc]

I define a percussion instrument as: Any instrument that is not a wind instrument. Although chimes blowing in the wind..is an instrument I consider a percussion instrument.

[@TheBassHeavy]

You should check out Rodrigo Constanzo's stuff for snare and electronics.

[@bobbirdsong6825]

The DW drumset in the thumbnail is quite possibly the closest thing I've ever seen to my ideal kit...

[@andrevanscheers]

Hello David, I'm not sure if you are aware of it or it just happened in the heat of the production, but this lovely video is somewhat less compelling because I can't always look straight in your eyes. Glasses are usually a problem in television. And (blue) reflections are also killing the contact between you as the storyteller and your audience. In this video, if you compare footage at 15:14 with the long footage around 08:10 you immediately see the difference. I don't want to sound too picky. But I think this aspect can bring the quality of your productions to a higher level. Without many noticing the reason why.

[@koitsuga]

I still have trauma from being an 11 year old drummer in orchestra and having to play triangle in orchestra, which meant hitting it at the correct time once every 32 bars while reading the violin part to figure out when (this is not something 11 year old beginner drummers who don't own a kit can do and the conductor lady didn't like my improvisation) I just wanted to play along with pink floyd records but I was all digital from then till I was like 25 because of it

[@aylbdrmadison1051]

Diversity is factually why we even exist in the first place. I've never understood why some people don't understand that, so we have so many negative _ism's_ in the world. Racism, nationalism, ageism, genderism etc. Even at times those who believe they are tolerant of diversity, and actually are in fact when it comes to say music, but might also have a strong bias against gay or trans people, as just one example. Or someone who is not necessarily racist might be an ageist or nationalist. Diversity is life itself.

[@legalize.brokkoli]

Good point. I have a strong bias myself against people who sneak identity politics into literally everything. And this while i'm the tolerant poster boy of the century. Or maybe that's the reason why. :p

[@qwerty_and_azerty]

Aylbdr Madison you’ve never understood why “some people” don’t understand diversity... seems like you’re engaging in an ism - tribalism

[@Bushwhacker-so4yk]

Including an 1812 clip but not one with a cannon was a big missed opportunity.

[@dosgos]

George Garzone, John Lockwood & Bob Gullotti pushed the limits of jazz and percussion for a trio.

[@owenmcgee8496]

Solo percussion music: Stomu Yamash'ta, "Red Buddha".

[@DonCYHaute]

Lovely sign off. My biggest hope is that great Art may come of all this and inspire some real progress in a Brave New World in the vain of the (extremely tasteful) political expressions thrown in towards the end here. You are without doubt a force for Good in that regard. Keep doing what you do

[@johannesbowman5327]

Talks about String Quartet. Uses Haydn’s Joke Quartet.

[@johannesbowman5327]

3:41 MORE COWBELL

[@lacroquetarecords]

"Monastic quality" please develop more that intersting music as religion concept in another video would love that! Excellent investigation as always david!

[@mr88cet]

Two words: “Harry” “Partch”!

[@tillyjones1942]

so NOW I know where the lions roar in Sibelius comes from

[@galacticecho7027]

So, I know this is an old video, but I was wondering what you think of my latest song, David. Here is the soundcloud link soundcloud.com/philosojosh7171/ruins I put it together using a combination of synths, orchestral samples and a kalimba. I think my expression control on the violins and the mixing/mastering could be a lot better. But, I thought I just had to call it done, even if it wasn't perfect. Excited to hear your thoughts!

[@caterscarrots3407]

I don't write much for percussion outside of accenting orchestral chords. But I do have a question related to rhythm. I am writing a piece about the emotional contrast of a man who lost his family and love of his life for somebody else. On the one hand, he is sometimes in a fake happiness when with somebody else. On the other hand, he tends to be alone and heartbroken. I know what I want in each section, but I don't know how to make the rhythm and meter move smoothly between them. In the melancholic minor key sections, the left hand of the piano is playing a triplet arpeggio bass in 4/4, so 12 notes to the bar. In the happy major key sections, those triplets become a quarter note waltz rhythm in 3/4. The minor key sections are at quarter = 90 BPM and the major key sections are somewhere between quarter = 120 BPM and quarter = 140 BPM. Perhaps the meter is the easiest to get to change smoothly since the minor key sections separate each beat into 3 subdivisions. But what about the rhythm? I'm afraid that if I just suddenly move from the triplet arpeggios to the quarter note waltz that there would be too sudden of a change, like a jolt from Andante to Allegro. So how can I get the rhythm to smoothly change from the triplets to the waltz while having the notated tempo change not be gradual?

[@mattheasboelter5217]

Have you tried a sudden change? I personally think they can work well. Beyond that, one of the things to try is using a hemiola (I probably spelled that wrong, but my browser doesn't have an autocorrect entry for it) as a metric modulation tool. So basically, keep your 6/8 part going in one hand, but have the other hand start to play every other subdivision. You can then make that the quarter note of the new section. Hopefully that helps.

[@Butternades]

as another comment suggested, a sudden change or hemiola are an option, another idea or two, would be to keep the former rhythm and tempo while switching time signature, which with agogic accents can help the transition; another idea would be to switch from triplets to eighth notes in the former tempo and time signature which would also reduce the harshness of transitions. if you need an example to understand, the well known marimba solo "yellow after the rain" uses this transition, going from 16th notes to triplets, to 8th notes, to quarters in the transition back to the primary thematic material.

[@avivdor1454]

How did you not talk about the solo in Handel's 'music for the royal fireworks'?!