Mallet Percussion Fundamentals and Techniques | Vibraphone & Marimba

Over the course of 15 weeks, this intermediate level class will introduce and teach students the fundamentals and techniques associated with playing mallet instruments. This includes playing both the vibraphone and marimba as well as the differences between them. This course will teach students about correct grip techniques for each instrument. This will effectively show students how to use the mallets to produce clear louder sounds, dampening effects or even how to produce rolling sounds.

Students will also learn about pedaling which helps the player with phrasing and holding notes to create more compelling pieces. While pedals have historically been used primarily to hold the notes, more contemporary musicians choose to use these to create much more expressive scores of music. Although they may seem intimidating at first, more advanced students will be taught the basic techniques for the creation of harmony and chord voicing. They will learn about guide tones, upper structures and filling out the voicing in an easy to digest manner. Students will also learn how to properly employ improvisation into their playing.

About Jerry Tachoir: With 45 years of experience and multiple Grammy nominations, Jerry Tachoir is one of the key figures today in mallet instruments. Jerry currently teaches, not only privately, but also at Berklee College of Music and has also taught at Belmont University in the past. He has also written "A Contemporary Mallet Method - An Approach to the Vibraphone and Marimba" which has become required reading at several major music schools. Jerry also was the first to release two educational vibraphone videos - "Master Study Series." He has performed at most of the major jazz festivals and concert halls throughout the US, Canada, and Europe.