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IF YOU MUST PLAY THE TAMBOURINE……..
(a horn players’ guide to percussion)
A friend of ours (and former co-worker) is currently working with
a long-established act at various venues around Australia. Though
he was hired as a saxophonist, he spends at least 50% of each show
playing tambourine (to the point where he describes himself as “Col
Joye’s Tambourine Player”). We have all had this experience
at least once in our playing careers. What do you do when playing
a song with no sax, trumpet, flute, horn section or whatever? These
days you are less likely to be able to just walk off stage (the
promoter wants to get his money’s worth), so unless you are
a harmony singer (or dancer!?! (or sitting down wearing a tuxedo)),
you won’t want to “just stand there looking silly”.
So you bring along a few percussion instruments to liven things
up. Here are a few ideas to keep it musical and not get drumsticks
thrown at you.
1. DON’T OVERDO IT! Some of the most effective
tambourine playing is the most simple. Check out some of the Beach
Boys records. Almost all of them have tambourine, and you’ll
find that they use it sparingly. The tambourine will stick out like
a sore thumb, and in the days of analogue recording was almost impossible
to erase once it was on a track (the tape would get saturated with
those piercing frequencies). A single beat once or twice per bar
is usually all that’s needed. To do this, hold the tambourine
in one hand so that it is horizontal, and strike it gently with
the fingertips of the other hand. This will give a clean, single
note without any extraneous jingling.
2. YOU DON’T HAVE TO PLAY ALL THE TIME.
You can just add the percussion to the chorus, for example. You
can play more sparsely during the quieter or more gentle sections
of songs (if there are any).
3. BUILD DYNAMICS INTO WHAT YOU PLAY. You only
have to listen to a great tambourine player like Airto Moreira to
discover that it is a true instrument in the hands of a virtuoso.
(Check out www.airto.com).
Your part should add to the arrangement, not detract from it.
4. To play straight 8ths, hold the tambourine
vertically and swing your arm horizontally from the elbow to get
even, controlled quavers. Let the instrument strike your other hand
on the 2nd and 4th beats of the bar. None of this needs to be done
with much force (see note above about piercing frequencies).
5. To play swing or shuffle, hold the tambourine
at about 45 degrees to the vertical and again swing your arm from
the elbow. Even arm movements provide the shuffle or swing feel
with no extra effort on your part.
6. MOST IMPORTANT, LOCK IN TO THE DRUMMER’S
TIME. If she is glaring at you, it might be an idea to shut up for
a while or play a bit less.
7. If playing claves (rhythm sticks), your part
is the most important of all. Make sure you are playing the proper
clave for the song (is it a 3-2 or a 2-3 beat that is required?).
This is sometimes also performed on a cow-bell (danger!!! Even more
piercing than the tambourine!).
8. All manner of guiros, bell trees, cow bells,
vibraslaps, cabasas, chicken shakes, wobble boards and other miscellaneous
instruments may also be employed, but please refer to rules 1, 2,
3 and 6 before playing. Try not to draw focus from the singer (they’re
even more remorseless than drummers if you get in their way) but
the occasional smile to the audience and clap of the hands can help
to get the audience involved.
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