Applied Percussion Lessons Requirements and Grading Criteria
Studio of Ricky Burkhead: Music Building, Room 116
Email: burkhead@olemiss.edu
Studio Phone: 915-5665
Music Office Phone: 915-7268
Cell Phone: 801-4638
The following plan of study for applied percussion is intended as a guide toward the
development of minimal standards in the music curriculum at the University of Mississippi. Since
each level should indicate a growth that is built on previously mastered levels, the prospective
transfer student will be able to use this document to monitor their progress toward being at the
level expected upon entering Ole Miss. Although certain flexibility exists in the selection of
appropriate solo literature between levels, there should be a conscious effort to surpass the
minimal standards concerning the other aspects listed. The expectations represented are only
the minimal amount of material that would be expected for a student to receive a letter
grade of C and pass to the next level. Grades lower than C do not satisfy graduation
requirements for the music major. Graduate music majors must attain a grade of B or
higher to proceed to the next level.
Be on time, warmed-up, & prepared for your lesson. Try to schedule a lesson so that you have
time to warm-up and review the music practiced the previous day. To insure that your lesson
begins on time simply knock politely and enter. Your timely entry shows your eagerness and
readiness to have a great lesson.
PRACTICE: At least one hour per day of concentrated practice time is imperative for the music
education major. Three hours (daily) is necessary for the performance major. Since all assigned
material is designed to develop a complete musician, you should practice all assigned material
every day. When you enter the practice room, forget everything else. Practice purposefully,
methodically, & meticulously. Use your metronome when practicing (scales, etudes, technical
exercises), and listen to yourself as if someone else (namely a teacher) were listening. Keep all
practice rooms neat and clean even if it wasn’t clean before you got there. Report anyone
that leaves the practice rooms messy to me.
Students should acquire the ability to read at sight with fluency demonstrating both
general musicianship and a level of skill relevant to professional standards for a Bachelor
of Music degree.
Students pursuing the Bachelor of Music in Performance degree must be able to
demonstrate their ability to work independently by learning at least one piece (to be
determined by the instructor) without assistance. The student will perform the work and
be graded by the instructor consistent with the jury forms to evaluate the performance.
ATTENDANCE: Absences without contacting me cannot be made up. If you must miss a lesson
because of illness, family emergency, or an official school activity, please notify me as soon as
possible so that the lesson can be rescheduled.
GRADING: (Scale: A = 92-100, A- = 90-91, B+ = 88-89, B = 82-87, B- 80-81, C+ = 78-79,
C =72-77, C- = 70-71, D+ =68-69, D =62-67, D- = 60-61, F = 59 and Below)
60% of your grade (60 points) will be derived from individual lesson grades. Grades
will be based on attendance, punctuality, preparation, progress made between lessons,
attitude, initiative, enthusiasm and whether all necessary materials were brought to the
lesson. As with any other class, you are expected to obtain the necessary materials.
25% of your grade will be based on your jury performance grade. All students will play
a jury at the end of the semester that will count 25% of the final grade. The jury
performance is very important because it offers the studio faculty members the
opportunity to observe your progress as well as submit constructive comments.
A Mid-term Scale Jury will determine 10% of the final jury grade. The grade of “C” or
higher is required to move to the next level of instruction.
10% of grade will be based on attendance at Student Recital Events including the
following breakdown:
4 Wednesday (1:00) Student Recitals: 40% of the "Recital Attendance" component of
the grade [i.e. each miss -1% deduction from the final grade]
2 Artist/Faculty Recitals: 20% of the "Recital Attendance" Component of the grade [i.e.
each miss -1% deduction from the final grade]
4 of any Evening/Weekend Recital/Concert: 40% of the "Recital Attendance"
component of the grade [i.e. each miss -1% deduction from the final grade]
This grading policy applies to any and all undergraduates – including minors and nonmajors -- taking lessons at any level (through 522/542). However, if students are taking
lessons in more than one area, this component will only be factored into the final grade
for the principal area of study. When totals are reported to studio faculty, only totals up to
4, 2, and 4 (see above numbers) will be entered. If a student attends more than the
required amount in each category, the extra recitals will not appear when he checks his
attendance in Blackboard. In other words, to receive credit for all recitals, students will
have to meet the attendance requirements in each category. However, if a student has a
documented conflict with attending Wednesday recital hour, their requirements would be:
0 Wednesday (1:00) Student Recitals: 0% of the "Recital Attendance" component of
the grade.
2 Artist/Faculty Recitals: 20% of the "Recital Attendance" Component of the grade
[i.e. each miss -1% deduction from the final grade]
8 of any Evening/Weekend Recital/Concerts: 80% of the "Recital Attendance"
component of the grade [i.e. each miss -1% deduction from the final grade]
5% of your grade will be based on your attendance at Area Meeting and percussion
related performances. To receive 5 points toward the final grade a student must attend
90% of the approved performances. Those performances would include all formal
recitals presented by faculty or visiting percussionists and percussion groups. This
semester there are 7 Area Meetings scheduled. A (2) hour credit lesson should result in
approximately 12 hours of instruction.
The failure to perform on Recital Hour or Departmental Meeting will result in the
deduction of ten points from the final grade (except on 100 & 121 levels).
MEMBERSHIP: All percussion majors are required to become members of the Percussive Arts
Society (PAS). You can join by going to the PAS website www.pas.org and click on Join PAS
and follow the instructions ($28).
Sticks, Mallets and Accessories
Books, sticks and mallets may be purchased by semester.
Pair of general snare drum sticks, real feel practice pad, metronome, black towel, pitch pipe, tuning fork
(A- 440), or electronic turner, set of triangle beaters, drum set sticks, combination stick, pair of wire or
plastic brushes, deluxe stick bag, pair of medium hard rubber mallets, pair of hard rubber mallets, pair of
brass mallets, pair of plastic mallets, set of four medium hard yarn marimba mallets, set of four hard yarn
marimba mallets, set of four medium cord vibraphone mallets and (3) pairs of timpani sticks (soft, medium
and hard).
Sources To Buy Books, Sticks, Bags and Music
Steve Weiss Music
www.steveweissmusic.com
(888) 659-3477
Lone Star Percussion
www.lonestarpercussion.com
(866) 792-0143
Memphis Drum Shop
www.memphisdrumshop.com
(888) 276-2331
Percussion Source
www.percussionsource.com
(866) 849-4387
Amazon
www.amazon.com
Books by Proficiency Level 1
Stick Control for the Snare Drummer by George Lawrence Stone
Syncopation for the Modern Drummer by Ted Reed
Intermediate Snare Drum Studies by Mitchell Peters
The All American Drummer by Charley Wilcoxen
Or The Rudimental Cookbook by Edward Freytag
Studies in Solo Percussion by Morris Goldenberg
Fundamental Methods for Mallets by Mitchell Peters
Exercises, Etudes and Solos for Timpani by Raynor Carroll
Snare Drum Proficiency Level 1
Stick Control for the Snare Drummer - Stone
#1-48, pp 5-6
(pp, mf, ff)
Tempos
80 – 100
Semester
1st
Syncopation for the Modern Drummer - Reed
#1-36, pp 52-54
(single hand)
“
“
“
(Hand to hand)
100
130
1st
1st
#1-69, pp 58–60
“
“
“
80
120
1st
1st
Intermediate Snare Drum Studies - Peters
I
II
III
V
VI
IX
XI
1
2
5
10
11
20
29
144
112
118
132
108
120
76
92
80
104
108
112
120
116
1st
The Rudimental Cookbook - Freytag
Hot Licks
Accentuate
5+2=7
Straight Six Eight
Add A Pop
Single Strokin’
Para Flams
Crazy Eights
Diddles-R-Us
Seven and Six
Draggin’ The Seven
Diddle City
Funky Fat
Legend of A Two-Eyed Soldier
Five Against Two
Mean Man Matt
90-120
“ “
“ “
“ “
“ “
“ “
“ “
“ “
“ “
“ “
“ “
“ “
“ “
“ “
“ “
“ “
1st
Studies In Solo Percussion - Goldenberg
Etude Dialogue
Etude for Muffled Drums
Study in Dynamic Contrast
Pow-Wow
Paganry
90-100
“ “
“ “
148-160
96-112
1st
Five Timbres
Solos
(single hand)
(Hand to hand)
72-80
2nd
2nd
2nd
Mallet Keyboard Proficiency Level I
Technical Exercises (Handout)
Alternating Strokes #1-9
Rolls #1-4
Double Stops #1-4
Major Scales & Arpeggios 2-Octaves
Chromatic Scale Full Range:
In 8th notes
In Triplets
Tempos
160-170
160-172
90-100
120-132
quarter = 180
quarter = 120
Fundamental Method for Mallets - Mitchell Peters
Pages:
34-35
120-144
36-40
120-144
41-45
120-144
46-50
92-100
51-55
84-92
56-59
100
4-Mallet Technique & Exercises (Handout)
1–2
80-88
3–4
72-80
5–6
110-120
7–8
40-48
9 – 10
52-60
Natural Minor Scales & Arpeggios 2-Octaves
120-144
Fundamental Method for Mallets - Mitchell Peters
60-65
68-80
66-68
76-80
69-73
72-80
74-78
80-90
79-81
90
82-86
90-100
Solos
Semester
1st
1st
2nd
2nd
2nd
Drumset Proficiency Level 1
Early R&B 1940’s & 1950’s Zoro/Vic Firth Poster
Jump Blues/Boogie Woogie
Backbeat Shuffle
Chicago Blues
12/8 Feel (Fats Domino)
Prima Shuffle
Back Shuffle (Stumble or Texas Shuffle)
Early Straight 8th (Lil Richard)
Quarter Note Shuffle (Green Onions)
Motown Groove
Syncopation 8th Note Groove (Memphis)
Philadelphia Soul Groove
Tempos
150
150
73
100
126
108
144
134
127
112
102
Semester
1st
Progressive Study Through Fresh Approach for the Drumset by Mark Wessels
Early R&B 1940’s & 1950’s Zoro/Vic Firth Poster
Bo Diddley Beat
New Orleans R&B
Double Time Gospel Feel
Faux Latin (Ray Charles)
Syncopated 8th Note Funk I (Cold Sweat)
Syncopated 8th Note Funk II (Super Bad)
One Hand 16th Note Groove
8th Note Funk Grove I
Linear 8th/16th Note Funk
Funky New Orleans March
8th Note Funk Groove II
Go Go Groove
212
224
218
176
111
125
77
100
112
101
115
110
2nd
Progressive Study Through Fresh Approach for the Drumset by Mark Wessels
Solos
Timpani Proficiency Level 1
Exercises, Etudes and Solos for Timpani – Carroll
Overview
pages
Tuning
7-13
Legato Stroke
24-25
Legato Stroke Warm-up
handout
Sticking Patterns
42-45
Staccato Stroke
33-35
Rolls
53-56
Rolls continued
60-62
Muffling
69-72
Pedaling
76-86 (selected exercises)
Tempo
Semester
N/A
80
72
as marked
76
56-76
80
88
2nd Freshman
Excerpts/Etudes
Roll Dynamic Control Etude
Grace Note Etude
Glissando Etude
Solos
handout
handout
handout
31-32
39-41
51-52
67-68
75
97
109
124-125
30
3rd (1st Semester Sophomore)
80
60
as marked
3rd
as marked
as marked
as marked
as marked
as marked
as marked
as marked
Snare Drum Proficiency Level 2
Stick Control for the Snare Drummer-Stone
#1-24, p 8
(pp, mf, ff)
#1-12, p 13
“
“
#1-24, p 16
“
“
Tempos
90 – 110
100-120
100-120
Semester
1st
Syncopation for the Modern Drummer-Reed
#37-62, pp 55-56
Single Hand R/L
Hand-to-Hand
36 Bar Exercise, p 56 Hand-to-Hand
Triplets Mixed Sticking Hand-to-Hand (p 57)
100
130
130
112
1st
As Marked
1st
As Marked
2nd
Portraits In Rhythm-Cirone
1
2
3
4
9
13
18
24
25
26
31
32
33
50
Solos
2nd
2nd