Percussionists will designate one of the following two groups as their major area of performance:
1 – Battery/Mallets or 2 – Timpani
Battery/mallet players will play pre-selected rudiments memorized within a one-minute time limit as well as pre-selected major scales within a separate one-minute time limit. Students are expected to play the rudiments and scales in the order specified on the notecards. Click here for examples of the notecards.
Technical Proficiency Requirements for Battery
1 – Rudiments- Percussionists will play pre-selected rudiments within a one-minute time limit. (see lists provided below) Students are expected to play the rudiments in the order specified on the notecards. Click here for examples of the notecards.
SCBDA Rudiments List
All required snare drum rudiments will be selected from the Percussive Arts Society (PAS) list of International Rudiments.
Snare Rudiments
All rudiments will be performed at a flat speed equal to or faster than the tempo listed. Rudiments will not be played from slow to fast to slow (also referred to as open to close to open). Students have one minute to play all listed rudiments exactly six times consecutively (and a release note when applicable). If a student performs more than six repetitions, only the first six are to be judged.
If any of the six repetitions of a rudiment are played incorrectly, it may be attempted at the end of the sequence, if there is time remaining in the one-minute time limit. If there is time left, the judge will inform the student of the rudiment, by name, that needs to be replayed six times to receive credit. For example, if a student was unsuccessful on rudiments #3 Flam Tap and #5 Single Drag Tap, and has additional time left, the judge would ask, “Please replay the Flam Tap” followed by, “Please replay the Single Drag Tap” instead of asking for the rudiment by number.
All Double Stroke Roll and Drag rudiments must be performed in a “rudimental” or “open roll” style instead of a “buzzed” or “concert” interpretation. In order to be given credit for each rudiment, all six repetitions of a rudiment must be performed at least at the minimum tempo listed and demonstrate one of the correct sticking and the proper accent vs. tap (high or loud vs. low or soft) dynamic contrast.
Snare Drum Rudiments
| SENIOR | CLINIC | JUNIOR |
| (Quarter Note = 112) 7 Stroke Roll 10 Stroke Roll 15 Stroke Roll 17 Stroke Roll Double Paradiddle Flam Tap Flam Accent (*) Flamacue Single Drag Tap Double Drag Tap Drag Paradiddle No. 2 Double Ratamacue |
(Quarter Note = 96) |
(Quarter Note = 84) |
| Roll Rudiments | Flam Rudiments |
| 5 Stroke Roll (alternating) 7 Stroke Roll (non-alternating) # 9 Stroke Roll (alternating) 10 Stroke Roll (non-alternating) 11 Stroke Roll (non-alternating) # 15 Stroke Roll (non-alternating) # 17 Stroke Roll (alternating) |
Flam (alternating) Flam Tap (alternating) Flam Accent (alternating) Flamacue (non-alternating) Flam Paradiddle (alternating) |
| Drag Rudiments | Diddle Rudiments |
| Single Drag Tap (alternating) Double Drag Tap (alternating) Single Ratamacue (alternating) Double Ratamacue (alternating) |
Single Paradiddle (alternating) Double Paradiddle (alternating) Drag Paradiddle #1 (alternating) Drag Paradiddle #2 (alternating) |
# doesn’t matter which hand leads
2 – Snare Drum Buzz Roll – Battery/mallet players will perform a concert snare drum buzz roll which will be scored by the screened judges. The concert snare drum buzz roll will be performed from a pianissimo dynamic, developed to a fortissimo dynamic, and returned back to a pianissimo dynamic. The buzz roll will have a one-minute time limit. Click Here for a notated snare drum buzz roll.
Overall Technique for percussion will be the equivalent of the tone score for wind instruments. The technique score will be given at the end of the audition and will reflect the student’s overall level of sound quality and general approach to performing percussion music.
Technical Proficiency Requirements for Mallets
Battery/mallet players will play pre-selected major scales within a separate one-minute time limit. Students are expected to play the scales in the order specified on the notecards. For examples of the notecards, please scroll back to the top of this page.
Click the links below to view the scales, then print them out for use.
Junior Band
Major Scales: F, G, Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb (2 octaves)
Clinic Band
Major Scales: F, G, Ab, A, Bb, C, Db, D, Eb (2 octaves)
Senior Band
Major Scales: F, Gb, G, Ab, A, Bb, B, C, Db, D, Eb, E (2 octaves)
Overall Technique for percussion will be the equivalent of the tone score for wind instruments. The technique score will be given at the end of the audition and will reflect the student’s overall level of sound quality and general approach to performing percussion music.
Technical Proficiency Requirements Timpani
Timpani Tuning
Timpani tuning will not be judged separately but in conjunction with the tuning of the SOLO and the two Sight-Reading selections. If tunings are exactly duplicated in the sight-reading selections and/or solo, the judges may hear other tunings to ensure three different ones. The tuning of the timpani will be judged before the student plays the etude, and in the case of the sight-reading, the pitches to be tuned will be written on the outside of the sight-reading folder in musical notation. The student’s tuning can then be evaluated before the student opens the folder to begin studying the sight-reading. This process is to be repeated for the second sight-reading example. Each sight-reading selection accounts for 15 points. The player will also perform a fp crescendo-decrescendo roll for 5 points. This will be the equivalent of the winds’ chromatic scale. Click here for a notated fp crescendo-decrescendo timpani roll
All students will be allowed 40 seconds per tuning session (all drums in 40 seconds, not 40 seconds per drum), totaling 2 minutes for all tuning required for the audition.
Junior tunings will include perfect fourths and fifths only. Clinic and Senior tunings could use all intervals for tuning.
NOTE: Reference pitches for tuning Timpani may only be obtained from a tuning fork or pitch pipe. Students are not allowed to use a mallet instrument to obtain their reference pitches.
Overall Technique for percussion will be the equivalent of the tone score for wind instruments. The technique score will be given at the end of the audition and will reflect the student’s overall level of sound quality and general approach to performing percussion music.