Complementary Percussion: A handbook for developing Tambourine, Triangle, Cymbals and Bass Drum Performance by Keith Aleo

Typically, concert percussionists focus their practice sessions on snare drum, keyboard percussion, and timpani. Rarely do they practice what we often call the “accessory” percussion instruments. More importantly, the use of the term “accessory” to describe a group of percussion instruments diminishes their importance and role in the concert percussion world. These instruments are more appropriately described as “complementary percussion instruments.”

Therefore, Complementary Percussion: A workbook for developing Tambourine, Triangle, Cymbals and Bass Drum Performance, provides the percussionist with exercises, etudes and duets specifically written for these instruments. The exercises are the “stick control” for this group of instruments and provide the necessary foundation to begin addressing the etudes. The etudes are idiomatic, musically satisfying, and simply “make sense” from a percussionist’s standpoint. They vary in skill and serve as a launching point to master these instruments. Having perfected the exercises and mastered all of the etudes, a percussionist will be prepared to tackle any part for tambourine, triangle, bass drum and cymbals.