 |
Stroke, Shake, Jingle
By Greg Marsh
While the cowbell is commonly found in musical contexts, its origin can be traced to freely roaming animals. In order to help identify the herd to which these animals belonged, herdsmen placed bells around the animal's necks. Cowbells are commonly trapezoid, cylindrical or cup-shaped. The animal most associated with the cowbell today is the “Rock ‘n Roll animal.
As we learned from that famous SNL skit, “More Cowbell” slammin’ quarter notes on the chorus of an anthem-like rocker might be just what the doctor ordered. On the other hand, doing so during a sensitive ballad will guarantee you’ll never be called for that gig again. Depending on the style of the music, playing what is “musically appropriate”, (be it the choice of instrument, the particular part, or volume level) can make or break a song, a band, a gig, a relationship and/or marriage. I’ve witnessed flying fisticuffs between band members on stage due to a lack of, shall we say, “sensitivity” to the music. Excessive banging on percussion instruments at inappropriate times is not the best way to keep a gig. On the other hand, playing in the groove will inspire your audience and be appreciated by everyone in the band. The idea behind this series—Percussion Discussion—is to clue you in on the various hand percussion instruments and how best to employ them while staying employed. We’ll approach it one instrument at a time, starting with the most common and perhaps least understood…
"While the cowbell is commonly found in musical contexts, its origin can be traced to freely roaming animals. In order to help identify the herd to which these animals belonged, herdsmen placed bells around the animal's necks. Cowbells are commonly trapezoid, cylindrical or cup-shaped. The animal most associated with the cowbell today is the
“Rock ‘n Roll animal."
The Tambourine
The tambourine is the classic hand held instrument for singers to accentuate rhythms and put some flare into their performance. Tambourines, (a.k.a. “Marines,”) consist of a wooden or plastic frame with small metal jingles—some may also have a single drum-head. The tambourine can be hand-held or mounted on a stand and can be played in a variety of ways: from stroking or shaking the jingles; to striking it sharply with a hand or stick; or striking the tambourine against the leg or hip. Most often, it’s played on the “backbeat” in a rock or pop song (beats 2 and 4 in a measure of 4/4 time). You can use the tambourine to create tension and release in an arrangement by starting with a sparse pattern and building intensity as the song develops. Another popular method is the sixteenth note rhythm. While shaking the tambourine from side to side, hit it with the palm of your opposite hand to accent beats. You can create syncopated rhythms by alternately hitting one side and then the other (heel of the palm on the inward stroke, meat of the fingers on the outward stroke) as you steadily keep time “waving” the tambourine in a wide or short stroke (depending on the desired sound). Another great tambourine sound is the “shimmer”. Hold the instrument with your dominant hand and laterally swivel the wrist in a tight motion to create a jingly “pssshhhh” sound. This works great for the “hold” at the end of a song. When listening to experienced percussionists, notice their simplicity, tone and timing. Resist the temptation to overplay. The axiom “less is more” may truly apply in the case of the singing hand percussionist.
In The Groove
Stay “in time” with the groove or tempo. In 4/4, try playing the tambourine on beat 4 of every measure in the verse and then moving to 2 & 4 in the chorus. In a halftime section, the tambourine can be played on beat 3 along with the snare drum to create a thickening shimmering effect. It is common to hear the tambourine played with the snare drum in Pop and Rock music. By holding the tambourine flat with one hand and popping it sharply with the heel of the opposite hand, you can create a staccato effect that can complement the sound of the snare drum if played together or placed slightly behind the beat.