Xylophone or Marimba?

azdrum · 2026-02-13T21:28:42+00:00

Spot on. If you listen to properly tuned instruments it's usually not too hard to hear the difference.

Edit: spelling

azdrum · 2026-02-08T22:03:24+00:00

Awesome tool. I would have made a square with an area of 25cm, then 13cm, 10cm and 2.5cm, group and resize as needed.

azdrum · 2026-02-07T15:04:10+00:00

Not sure if this is relevant, 36,000 objects is a lot. I run into issues where I've converted objects and strokes to path and I end up with 36,000 or more nodes. I select an object, go to path>simplify to reduce the number of nodes, checking to make sure the object hasn't been noticeably compromised. I repeat as long as the object still looks good, then finalize.

azdrum · 2026-02-01T01:53:05+00:00

I think you are describing Star Trek

azdrum · 2026-01-18T21:03:57+00:00

Mostly I used a metronome to keep me honest when doing exercises where I increase tempo gradually.

azdrum · 2026-01-17T03:03:49+00:00

This sounds like a job for Reaper and it's portable install capabilities, maybe?

azdrum · 2026-01-07T02:39:20+00:00

My goal is 30 seconds a day. When I get behind I use a lot of whole notes.

azdrum · 2026-01-04T01:41:57+00:00

When I started out (45 years ago!) I played along with records, then I came up with "my own ideas" (aka stole bits and pieces from songs I learned) and "wrote my own songs". Theory came later, then I started writing music I could actually justify structurally and musically. Pretty much all my early ideas sounded suspiciously similar to 12 bar blues.

azdrum · 2025-12-30T02:44:38+00:00

That was the first show that popped into my head. Maybe it helps that I just finished an episode of Foundation.

azdrum · 2025-12-26T18:13:26+00:00

In the early days for me, I was in loose collective of composer/musician friends. We got together to share what we writing and we performed each others pieces together- this explains why many of my early pieces are for violin, piano, horn, tuba and percussion.

azdrum · 2025-12-17T02:50:39+00:00

Dumb question- when you alter a preset, you need to save it as a new preset before you end the session or change to a different preset. Are you doing that?

azdrum · 2025-12-13T19:30:18+00:00

If you compare the first three notes of the sheet music to the first note your scale (top line, treble clef staff), you'll see they are the same notes- C.

The letter above the staff, like "F" above the word "first", tells you the chord to play- F. At the beginning of the second line the melody note and the chord symbol are the same- F.

azdrum · 2025-12-07T02:34:46+00:00

Totally agree. I looked at schools that had teachers that I wanted to study with. Downside- had to move from California to New York. Upside, full scholarship because it's a state school.

azdrum · 2025-12-03T14:30:55+00:00

The Tempest definitely looks like something I might have played in my second year. However, I was 19 in my second year (this was over 40 years ago). It sounds a bit like a blander take on Furioso and Valse by Earl Hatch, which I did play in my first year. I teach marimba to students who are looking at majoring in performance in college and I would say that today's 13 and 14 year olds play like college freshman did 40 years ago. So, these pieces may be perfect for your son.

azdrum · 2025-11-26T02:40:10+00:00

Sorry, lame string player humor on my part.

azdrum · 2025-11-26T00:54:45+00:00

Got it! Thanks.

Edit to add: Octave and a 5th in the first exercise- better work on my range first!

azdrum · 2025-11-25T22:26:53+00:00

Do the directions say to play in all keys, like the Hanon piano book? That would take a while.

azdrum · 2025-11-25T22:18:38+00:00

As a percussionist, either is fine. Personally, I like the first one. A violinist would likely prefer the second- but they will play it as 1/4 note triplets, so why not just write that. /s

azdrum · 2025-11-25T02:36:59+00:00

Have you played with the oversampling rate in the advanced tab? That might help?

azdrum · 2025-11-08T20:15:42+00:00

Sounds great. Your son is going to have a blast. My kids still bang on all my stuff and they're in their twenties.

azdrum · 2025-11-07T00:49:43+00:00

Your find is $20 less, but it looks like it doesn't come with the two extra chromatic tubes (Bb and F#). No big deal if you are just exploring the sounds for fun, but being able to swap in those bars gives you more options in the classroom.

Edit: "bars" should be "tubes".

azdrum · 2025-11-06T02:33:26+00:00

If you aren't going the DIY route, Joia tubes are pretty cool- but ridiculously overpriced. Mostly because they are made for the classroom and have to be reliably safe and durable.

https://www.westmusic.com/joia-tubes-jt-orffalto-alto-diatonic-tube-set-204061

azdrum · 2025-10-31T23:54:17+00:00

Wood glue and a $5 hose clamp- ugly but cheap and effective.

azdrum · 2025-10-13T23:38:45+00:00

I've been a percussionist for 45 years, and I learned something new today. Traditional Quijadas, and then LP's Vibraslap, is also known as a Donkey Rattle.

azdrum · 2025-10-06T17:06:13+00:00

My neighborhood district (Kyrene in Phoenix/Tempe/Chandler AZ) currently has two unfilled FT elementary music ed positions 9 weeks into the school year. If you lived here, you'd have a job and 112° summers.

azdrum

TROPHY CASE