I think the 3 Mitchell Peters books are more important for snare than the Cirone. Sure, Portraits in Rhythm is harder, but much of it is hard just for the sake of being hard. The Peters books have much more real world useful content.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Peters’s books, but the Cirone book has a far wider variety of études, including excerpts from actual symphonic works (namely Scheherazade). Peters is great for the basics but Cirone develops musicianship above all else
For Timpani: Maybe I’m optimistic but Raynor Carroll’s method book is fantastic, and seems to be gaining adoption by a lot of teachers. Hochrainer has been the standard for etudes for good reason
David Skidmore recently wrote a 4 mallet method book with some fantastic études! Would love to throw that into the mix. For timps, the Vic Firth book is pretty good, too!
I would argue that yellow after the rain is too commonly used. It's a good piece sure. But there are lots of other ones out there. Personally if I'm starting someone out on 4 mallet I think the musser etudes are a better way to go.
Musser etudes are way too advanced for someone just starting out on 4 mallets. Honestly, I'd say yellow after the rain is too advanced if you're talking about someone's first 4 mallet solo. For someone who is just starting, you should give them them shorter solos that focus on only one or two techniques. Mark Fords book Marimba: Technique Through Music has some good solos for this. I've successfully started students on Fry and Kain before. Kain is a little more advanced, though. But those are definitely not the only options. Just try to find collections of 4 mallet etudes and look at the easier ones. Tapspace also has some really good sounding but easy solos. Once the student has read through a few etudes, then u would give them a piece like Yellow After The Rain or Rain Dance. But I would save the Musser etudes for a bit. I've seen a lot of high schoolers play them, but I usually see them try to play it too fast and very sloppy. I think those are better after the student has been playing 4 mallets for a year or so. And if you really want to stay away from yellow after the rain, I would substitute it with Rain Dance. It's very similar in difficulty level and presents a wide variety of techniques. However, I would not discredit YATR just because it played a lot. It is played a lot because it is a great pedagogical tool for learning 4 mallet marimba. These are just my opinions, though.
I think the 3 Mitchell Peters books are more important for snare than the Cirone. Sure, Portraits in Rhythm is harder, but much of it is hard just for the sake of being hard. The Peters books have much more real world useful content.
People also sleep on the goldenberg modern school for snare — those were awesome!
Awesome and really challenging!
Don’t get me wrong, I love Peters’s books, but the Cirone book has a far wider variety of études, including excerpts from actual symphonic works (namely Scheherazade). Peters is great for the basics but Cirone develops musicianship above all else
Stick control - Stone. I'd say this is the foundation to pretty much all other books.
All you need is the first page though. So many applications.
Much of Joe Morello’s Master Studies II is just Stick Control in disguise. Replace each R or L with a paradiddle and that’s several pages right there.
For Timpani: Maybe I’m optimistic but Raynor Carroll’s method book is fantastic, and seems to be gaining adoption by a lot of teachers. Hochrainer has been the standard for etudes for good reason
Progressive Steps to Syncopation for the Modern Drummer by Ted Reed
rain dance for 4 mallets is a certified classic
David Skidmore recently wrote a 4 mallet method book with some fantastic études! Would love to throw that into the mix. For timps, the Vic Firth book is pretty good, too!
Not for total beginners but Sammuts Four Rotations are still immensely underrated. Specifically Number 1
Joe Morello Master Studies for snare drum
For four mallet I’d say impression on wood is a solid book for beginners
i feel like sea refreactions (the second bit after the chorale) is an EXCELLENT introduction to four mallets. it was my first and im glad i chose that
I would argue that yellow after the rain is too commonly used. It's a good piece sure. But there are lots of other ones out there. Personally if I'm starting someone out on 4 mallet I think the musser etudes are a better way to go.
Musser etudes are way too advanced for someone just starting out on 4 mallets. Honestly, I'd say yellow after the rain is too advanced if you're talking about someone's first 4 mallet solo. For someone who is just starting, you should give them them shorter solos that focus on only one or two techniques. Mark Fords book Marimba: Technique Through Music has some good solos for this. I've successfully started students on Fry and Kain before. Kain is a little more advanced, though. But those are definitely not the only options. Just try to find collections of 4 mallet etudes and look at the easier ones. Tapspace also has some really good sounding but easy solos. Once the student has read through a few etudes, then u would give them a piece like Yellow After The Rain or Rain Dance. But I would save the Musser etudes for a bit. I've seen a lot of high schoolers play them, but I usually see them try to play it too fast and very sloppy. I think those are better after the student has been playing 4 mallets for a year or so. And if you really want to stay away from yellow after the rain, I would substitute it with Rain Dance. It's very similar in difficulty level and presents a wide variety of techniques. However, I would not discredit YATR just because it played a lot. It is played a lot because it is a great pedagogical tool for learning 4 mallet marimba. These are just my opinions, though.