Reflex: 15 Studies for the Intermediate Multi-Percussionist

As the multi-percussion repertoire increases, it becomes necessary for modern students to increase their skills in this genre. Reflex is a collection of 15 studies for the multi-percussionist. The pieces are short and designed to improve percussionists’ ability to move fluently among different playing surfaces. The studies are written at the intermediate level and require a small number of instruments.

Genre: Multiple Percussion Solo | # of Players: 1
Level: Medium to Medium Difficult | Duration: 30:00

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Instrumentation
Kick Drum
Snare Drum – Concert or drum-set style
Tom-toms (3) – Concert or drum-set style
Suspended Cymbals (3) – 16” 18” 20”
Hi-hat – 13” or 14”
Tambourine – Suspended on a cymbal stand
Cowbell – Suspended on a cymbal stand
Woodblock – Placed on a music stand with a towel underneath

Program Notes
Reflex – A quick, automatic or habitual response; the ability to react quickly and effectively.
15 Studies for the Intermediate Multi-Percussionist

Composers throughout the 20th century demanded more from percussionists. Pieces such as Igor Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat (1918) and Darius Milhaud’s La Création du Monde (1922-1923) require skill on a wide array of instruments and the ability to move seamlessly from one instrument to the next. These compositions, along with many others, created a new repertoire for percussionists. Solo multi-percussion pieces, such as William Kraft’s French Suite (1962) and Rick Tagawa’s Inspirations Diabolique (1964), quickly became well-known solo works for percussionists. Today, composers write percussion parts and solos that are increasingly challenging.

As the multi-percussion repertoire increases, it becomes necessary for modern students to increase their skills in this genre. Reflex is a collection of 15 studies for the multi-percussionist. The pieces are short and designed to improve percussionists’ ability to move fluently among different playing surfaces. The studies are written at the intermediate level and require a small number of instruments. They become more difficult as the book progresses and can be used for both study and performance. A picture of each study’s set-up and an instrument key are provided to help the performer. The pieces are named after skeletal-muscular motions of the human body.