Marimba music (1 Viewer)

[janieee]

has anyone heard of the music "flight of the bumblebee" by rimsky-korsakov? i want to play the marimba/xylophone version of it. got any idea where i can download the marimba/xylophone version for free? just give me the url. thanks.

 

[ur_inner_child]

as in the mp3 or a score?

Flight of the Bumblebee is massively common by the way. Are you sure you wanna play that for your HSC?

 

[RJO1988]

has anyone heard of the music "flight of the bumblebee" by rimsky-korsakov? i want to play the marimba/xylophone version of it. got any idea where i can download the marimba/xylophone version for free? just give me the url. thanks.

Hey janieee! I'm actually doing that as well (well planning to do that... IF I CAN!!) for my 1st year, 2nd semester Concert Prac. at the Con (with another piece). It is a challenging piece technically, keep in mind; there are other (better) options for HSC. I don't really recommend this piece for your HSC performance because it just shows you got chops -> good technical skills. The examiners wont really appreciate that as much. There is really "no" "musical" aspect to it.

Anyhow, this is the link I have for the music: http://www.free-scores.com/download-sheet-music.php?pdf=504... (it's not specifically for any pecussion instrument, ie. for piano, but basically get the top line and that's a solo encore piece for yah for marimba) download it from there. Although yesterday, I got the original transcription/arrangement by Rachmaninoff; it does have some variations from version to version. There are millions of transcrpitions of it - some are harder than others, but Rachmaninoff did the first so it's original . I suggest you do it on a marimba unless you or your school have a 4 + octave xylophone (ie. Premier xylophone). I'm doing it on marimba with piano accompaniment for the left hand, but you can do it solo. Tell me what you think and email me if you want more repertoires to choose from!! Have fun with it!! Practice hard!!

 

[janieee]

thanks for the website rjo1988...i didn't actually know you could just get the top line and use it as a solo piece. and i'm not planning to play that piece for hsc...however i think i might play it for my school's music festival or something. i'll see how i go with practising that piece.

do you know what's the difference between marimba and xylophone? cause i thought marimba sounded brighter and has a smaller range. but i suppose it wouldn't really matter which one i play right? since them two are so similar.

can u also suggest other marimba/xylophone pieces that's more "suitable" for hsc? i actually don't know any marimba pieces so that other day i started googleing for some music...n then i found the flight of the bumblebee and youtubed it. and i thought it looked prettty awesome. ahaha.

 

[ur_inner_child]

marimbas have a larger range, if you're talking orchestral/classical standard.

xylophones are brighter, yes.

 

[RJO1988]

Hi janieee, first, I am very very sorry for assuming that you'd play that for HSC >.<" so sorry, I just assumed because you were looking for pieces and you found Bumble-bee and I thought that would be one of your HSC... so sorry >.<". But yeh, if you play that for like school music festival, that will be AWESOME!! Im sure you'll manage it!! It'll be great!!

ur_inner_child 100% correct. Marimba usually range 4 - 4.5 octaves (depending on the maker... Yamaha comes down to a low F... 2 F's below middle C... that's 5 octaves... sounds PHAT!!) but there 5 octaves. Marimba are made out of rose-wood. Gives it a very very warm mellow tone. Xylophone as ur_inner_child said, is brighter. In the old days, xylophone are made out of bones... very clanky and bright. Nowadays, xylophones are made from material called kelon. (man I feel like a historian now >.<" hahaha). They make an even brighter sound BUT!! they have longer sustain... still short but not as short as rose-wood xylophones. Mallet/Keyboard Percussion instruments produces better sound when they are made out of wood. Oh and Premier xylophones (English made) they do 7 octaves... I'd love to have a go at one of those!! But yeh, usually xylophones are 3 - 3.5 octaves at the most 4.

Pieces for marimba/xylophone. There are lots and basically you can turn anything into an arrangment/transcription to a marimba/xylo/vibes piece. One I am doing for Semester 1 is a piece called Ulpirra by Ross Edwards. This is written for solo treble woodwind, it's awesome!!. (I suggest you to play the piece... if you decide to play that... an octave lower, just gives it more of a humour and joyful feel to the piece - the intention of the piece). There are tonnes of Bach repertoire out there but be warned, most and near all require 4 mallets. Work on it and I'm sure you'd be able to do it! Mind over matter! Bach Inventions? Bach Partitas for Solo Violin? Shostakovitch The Golden Age Op. 22a: Polka? Um... there is also a piece by Ross Edwards that is written for marimba and I think (if I'm not mistaken) some aux. percussion, called Marimba Dances. Ross Edwards Prelude and Dragonfly Dances? So there are plenty out there and basically, if you hear something you like, look at the score and see if you can transcribe it! I am already planning to transcribe Schoenberg Sechs kleine Klavierstücke Op. 19 for Vibraphone. Oh and keep in mind, (i don't know I think ur_inner_child can back me up on this cause she's a composer) when you transcribe music, make sure it fits musically? No point transcribing like... I donno for example, Brahms Symphony No. 4 Movt. 1, cause it's very runny and very thick and lots of strings - you wouldn't achieve the same musical feel to it. So think about that as well. Schoenberg Sechs kleine Klavierstücke Op. 19 works well with Vibes because it's very atmospheric and that kinda stuff. Get a recording of it and you'll see what I mean.

I think that's a bit too long of a response >.<" should stop there anyhow, tell me if you do need more pieces and I'll try to suggest more to you ok?!! All the best!! Have fun!!

 

[janieee]

okok i think i can tell which one is marimba and which one is xylophone now. also i'm suppose to play with those soft sticks right? mallet sticks i think. cause my school teachers tell me to use those hard hard hard sticks during orchestra so u can actually hear it...but i think they damage the wood and create dents.

and thanks for the suggestions for the pieces. so Ross Edwards writes quite a lot of percussion solo pieces right? or are those music just rearranged? and i think 4 mallets is way to hard for me. =( i tried to do it once and i couldn't even hole two sticks in one hand properly. it seems so easy when those professional people do it...but i find that it kills my fingers and it's so hard to control them.

thank you ur_inner_child and rjo1988 for the replies.

 

[RJO1988]

With mallets, it really depends on the sound you want. Marimba playing usually uses yarn. Nice tone to it. Rubber is also used to some extent on marimba. Xylophone - use hard mallets, they're like chuppa-chups. Those real hard ones. Most orchestral repertoires and concert band reps. uses xylophone because it can cut through the orchestra. Marimba doesn't have the same piercing strength as a xylophone. So in a big ensemble, use hard mallets for xylophone, not on marimbas because you'll damage the wood. It's weird how the rose-wood in xylophone is a lot harder than that of marimbas. I guess the bars on a xylophone is a lot thicker that's why it's more durable. marimba's have a lot thinner bars... the low F on the Yamaha marimba I was talking about it... man, just seems that it's going to crack anyday when you hit it... it's SO thin! It does dent the bars but its inaffoidable (however you spell that word hahaha) - unless you have kelon xylophones. They are UNWRECKABLE!! you make a chip on a rose-wood bar, it'll change the tuning... usually to a sharper pitch. But kelons sustain the pitch whether chipped so much or damaged some how or another, it'll still be in perfect tuning as before... don't ask my why? cause I don't know hahaha...

Anyhow, yeh Ross Edwards does quiet a few pieces for percussion. Not arrangements - as far as I know?

4 mallets... ohhh yeh... hard as. hahaha... Basically the general rule is, get the grip right, and then move up and down ONE mallet and try not to move the other mallet on the same hand. That way, it'll give you maximum control of each mallet limbs. MAKE SURE YOU GET THE RIGHT GRIP AND TECHNIQUE OF USING 4 MALLETS. A lot of people (me) get RSI from attempting to do the whole 4 mallet stuff and getting the wrong concepts and all and stuffing up your hands, it sucks. It is hard yes... hehehe... suggestion, go to www.vicfirth.com and check out orchestral/concert section. They have a lot of cyber lessons there and one of them talks about these techniques for holding 4 mallets... really really good. Check out the site for more stuff like that... online tutorials... It is amazing. If you can't find it, I'll give you direct url's and go from there. You can also get free posters and all... cool useful posters

Have fun!!

 

[RJO1988]

I'm bored so I'll give you the link anyways...

http://www.vicfirth.com/features_concert.html

And more in http://www.vicfirth.com/features.html

Have Fun with it!!

 

[janieee]

thanks.