Percussion Solo & Ensemble Ideas

The winter season is a great time to start working with your percussionists on ensembles that can strengthen their technique and musicality. There is a ton of literature out there, and as a percussionist I get a lot requests from directors for my recommendations for resources or even certain pieces. With that in mind, here are a few pieces I have used with my own groups. Hopefully, you find something new in here to try out as well! And don't worry if you have students learning virtually; they can do some of these, too! 

1. Beyond Basic Percussion: 10 Basic Percussion Ensembles by Eric Rath and Ralph Hicks. This book is fantastic for first and second year players. It includes pieces that can be played by different combinations of players. If you only have 5 players, it helps you decide which parts are the best to be played. Or if you have 15 in a class, you can start doubling up certain lines. They have a great piece that helps students learn how to deal with trap tables and the logistics of changing instruments! This book is accessible to all levels and is geared more towards drums and accessories rather than keyboard playing.
2. Malletsicles from Row-loff percussion. This book is great for second and third year players If you are looking to get keyboard-focused for a piece, this book will guide you through that. Usually the ensembles are for 6 players with 1-5 being on a keyboard instrument and player 6 is on timpani or accessories. You, of course, can double up on parts if you have more players and instruments in your studio. The ensembles are melodic so kids are able to quickly pick up on the melody, and if you need solid teaching ensembles, this is a great book to start!
3. Clap Happy by Chris Crockarell. Published by Row-loff percussion. If you are teaching completely virtual percussionists or want to get everyone involved, whether in person or not, this is a great ensemble that requires only body percussion! Who doesn't love to clap, slap their bellies, and stomp their feet!? This ensemble is for 4, 8, or 12 players and is fun! The piece has a lot of broken sixteenth note patterns, so your students will need to be comfortable with those types of rhythms. Other than that...get to clapping!
4. Shazam! by John Pollard. First of all, the cover art is enough to make your percussionists want to play from this book! It has a super hero on the front! The book contains easy to intermediate solos for keyboard, snare, timpani, and multi-percussion. The solos can be played as a class or handed out individually to work with on their own time. With fun titles such as 'Back Sticking Sailor' and 'Monster Stomp', this will be sure to get your students excited to play their solos.
5. The last recommendation is a website. I tell everyone when they are looking for percussion ensembles to look at the C. Alan Publications website. I feel it has the best search engine for busy directors, and they have a fantastic selection of solo and ensembles. You can search by instrumentation, number of players, and difficulty level. And for 2020 they even have ensembles that can be played safely from a distance of 6 feet! I have played so many fantastic ensembles from this website, and you can't go wrong with the selections you choose! 

Amy Hinkson taught band for 13 years in North Carolina and Arkansas, most recently serving as Assistant Band Director at Lakeside Jr. High in Springdale, AR. Prior to Lakeside, Amy worked as Percussion Coordinator for the Alma School District for 8 years. She earned a Master of Music in Percussion Performance from the University of Missouri in 2004 and a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Arkansas in 2002. Amy's bands consistently earned Excellent and Superior ratings at Concert Assessments, and her students routinely landed spots in the All-Region and All-State bands. Amy resides in Fayetteville with her husband, JR, and two sons, Jack and Nolan. The Hinkson family loves to watch baseball (especially the Texas Rangers!) and, of course, all things Razorback! Amy Hinkson joined the Palen Music Center team during the summer of 2017 and was named MVP of Palen Music Center in 2020.