Things You'll Need:
- Drum sticks
- Practice pad
- Pipe band music
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Step 1
Traditional Grip Courtesy of Brad HallsChoose a drum stick grip before beginning to play pipe band music. Most bands use the traditional grip (pictured here) as the drums are placed slightly to the side of the performer rather than the front. Traditional grip is often used in marching bands and drum corps. The traditional grip allows much more comfortable drumming than the matched grip.
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Step 2
Matched Grip Courtesy of Brad HallsChoose the matched grip if that is the grip that feels the most comfortable to you. Pictured here, the matched drum stick grip is common in orchestra and symphonic band settings. Although most drummers feel like the matched grip is uncomfortable with pipe band drums, you may want to use a familiar grip if you are transitioning from an orchestral setting.
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Step 3
Practice stick control on your drum pad. As some pipe band drum sticks may be thicker than the ones drummers are typically accustomed to, some new stick techniques may be necessary. Focus on the ultimate goal of making both of your hands producing the same sound. This can be difficult to develop as most drummers have a natural harder stroke with their strong hand.
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Step 4
Memorize your music, as you will likely not have music on the field. To do this, work on the music in small sections and play back the sections in order. Do not attempt to play a section from memory until you have fully prepared it while reading the music. Doing so can cause you to learn the music incorrectly when played from memory.
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Step 5
Read pipe band drum music much like you would read normal marching band music. Some bands mark notes as a small letter "x" connected to a stem. However, other pipe bands may use different note markings. A quick view of the music (as most percussion music is atonal) should reveal the chosen note system.
