Vic Firth Artist: Gifford Howarth's Cyber Lessons

GIFF HOWARTH'S
4-Mallet Cyber Lessons

Over the past 5-10 years, there has been an enormous growth in 4-mallet percussion at the high school level. Today's high school percussionists are playing literature with techniques that would only be heard at college recitals ten years ago! The techniques have been around for more than 25 years, but the players attempting them are getting younger and younger.

With the rapid increase in popularity, there comes the possibility of students moving too quickly through the learning process, or not having adequate instruction.

In these cyber lessons, Vic Firth signature artist Gifford Howarth will detail each step along the road to developing command and control over 4 mallet keyboard percussion technique.

Throughout these lessons, Mr. Howarth will explain concepts detailed in his book, Simply Four; 4-Mallet Percussion as Easy as 1-2-3 (4). To follow along and utilize specific exercises and etudes, we recommend that you purchase a copy of the book, available through Tap Space Publications. The book breaks down the Stevens and Burton grips step by step from (1) how to hold each mallet in your hand, (2) how to use the different basic strokes, (3) how to combine the strokes through the use of exercises and etudes and (4) how to develop your technique correctly.

VIDEO LESSON SERIES:

Lesson 1: Introduction from Giff Giff welcomes you to his cyber lessons and discusses the range of upcoming lessons.	HIGH	MEDIUM
Lesson 2: Holding the Inside Mallet Proper placement of the inside mallet in the Stevens grip is paramount to your future success!	HIGH	MEDIUM
Lesson 3: Holding the Outside Mallet Giff covers the basics of gripping the outside mallet and gives you some common problems to watch out for.	HIGH	MEDIUM
Lesson 4: Keeping the Mallets Level Giff gives you a trick for keeping the mallets level and reinforcing the proper grip.	HIGH	MEDIUM
Lesson 5: The Double Stop Stroke (double verticals) Start playing with the basic wrist stroke.	HIGH	MEDIUM
Lesson 6: Changing Intervals in the Double Stop Stroke. Learn to change intervals with the inside mallets by using the "index finger shuffle."	HIGH	MEDIUM
Lesson 7: Changing Intervals - Outside Mallets Add wrist positioning to help smooth interval changes with the outside mallets.	HIGH	MEDIUM
Lesson 8: Changing Intervals - Combining the Two Motions Giff gives us an exercise to work on combining the two motions.	HIGH	MEDIUM
Lesson 9: Changing Intervals - Double Stop Exercise #1 More exercises to isolate the interval changing motion of inside and outside mallets.	HIGH	MEDIUM
Lesson 10: Changing Intervals - Large Intervals Giff explains how to handle larger intervals without getting into bad habits.	HIGH	MEDIUM
Lesson 11: Body Orientation to the Instrument Establish the proper distance from your lower body to the instrument.	HIGH	MEDIUM
Lesson 12: Individual Mallet Rotations Learn the correct way to rotate the mallets for individual strokes.	HIGH	MEDIUM
Lesson 13: Individual Mallet Rotations - Outside Mallet Learn the correct way to rotate the mallets for individual strokes.	HIGH	MEDIUM
Lesson 14: More About Mallet Rotation Giff talks about the pathway of the mallets.	HIGH	MEDIUM
Lesson 15: Mallet Rotation Exercise Accenting individual mallets within a 3 note Permutation.	HIGH	MEDIUM
Lesson 16: More Fun with the "Three's" Ecercise	HIGH	MEDIUM
Lesson 17: NEW! Suggestions for an Effective Warm Up Routine	HIGH	MEDIUM

Simply Four
4-Mallet Technique as Easy as 1-2-3...4
by Gifford Howarth

Simply Four is available at:

www.tapspace.com

For band directors, percussion instructors, and percussionists of all ages.

Finally, a clear-cut method on the fundamentals of four-mallet percussion technique! While this style of performance is becoming standard in modern percussion, never before have you had such a clearly defined resource to answer all your questions. This book is sure to take the fear out of playing with four mallets!

Included in this book:
• Step-by-step breakdown of the Stevens and Burton style grips.
• Technique enhancing exercises.
• Progressive and inventive etudes.
• Tons of detailed photos.
• plus much more!!

Listen to an etude sample:
"Call and Answer," page 68 (mp3 Audio - 684K)

View book page samples:
Table of Contents (Adobe PDF, 2 pages - 88Kb)
Sample Book Pages (Adobe PDF, 4 pages - 196 Kb)
Etude Samples (Adobe PDF, 4 pages - 112 Kb)

Rosewood Resonance
Giff Howarth

Listen to selected cuts from Giff's CD:

"Lupita" - Dave Grusin/arr. Rounds, Howarth -From The Milagro Beanfield War Suite	CLICK TO LISTEN
"Cavatina" - Stanley Myers/arr. Howarth -Theme from The Deer Hunter	CLICK TO LISTEN
"Prelude" - Bach/trans. Howarth -From The Suite No. 3 in C Major	CLICK TO LISTEN
"Asturias (Leyenda)" - Isaac Albéniz/arr. Howarth -From The Suite No. 3 in C Major	CLICK TO LISTEN

Giff Howarth Signature Series Marimba Mallets:

Watch Giff Perform with his Signature Mallets!
Clip #1	HIGH	MEDIUM
Clip #2	HIGH	MEDIUM

M160
Very soft. Huge sounding low-end mallets. Great for cello suites or general use bass mallets. Produces a full overtone-rich bass sound.
L = 17 5/8"

M161
Soft. For use in the lower two-thirds of the instrument. Produces that deep open bass sound while still speaking through the mid-range.
L = 17 1/2"

M162
Medium. Adds a lush quality to the lower range while providing the attack needed through most of the upper range.
L = 17 3/8"

M163
Medium hard. For general playing on the entire range of the marimba. Produces excellent clarity in the upper range and rich tones in the lower and mid-ranges.
L = 17 1/4"

M164
"Multi-tone". Hard to medium. Provides sharp clarity in the highest range of the instrument without a harsh "core attack" sound in the lower range. Great for much of the contemporary literature.
L = 17 1/4"