Quadrinomial (Drum Quartet)

Write A Review

1. Percussive Notes New Literature Review

   "Quadrinomial” is a groovy drum ensemble designed to fit around the instruments available to the players. Each player has a single drum, four mallets, and four wire brushes. The drums can be of any type as long as they are of a similar style. The parts are quick, hocketed, and highly syncopated. While the actual rhythms are not too difficult, the various techniques and beaters used require some facility and finesse from the players. The notation is very clear and easy to understand with space left in the printed parts for page turns. Each part has a three-line staff with different lines, spaces, and styles of noteheads used to indicate when the player should play on the head with a mallet, the shell with a mallet, the rim with a mallet, or the head with a brush using a regular stroke, a “brush stir,” or a dead stroke. The parts also call for moving the shaft of the mallet while playing to create different pitches.
   
   At around 7½ minutes, “Quadrinomial” is a little long, but the content is engaging. The parts require that the players be well versed in sixteenth-note rhythms, but the piece would also be a good project for a younger ensemble wanting to improve this skill. The flexibility of instrument choice makes this piece doable for almost any ensemble. It would be a good choice for a high school or undergraduate percussion ensemble wanting to add a rhythmic piece with a small setup to their concert.
   
   Marilyn K. Clark Silva
   Percussive Notes
   Vol. 57, No. 3, July 2019 Marilyn K. Clark Silva on Jul 13th 2022