Conversation for Two Tambourines

Bobby Lopez

Conversation

for two tambourines

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TSPCD-08

Program Notes Conversation for Two Tambourines was written when I was a graduate student. I was doing a substantial amount of tambourine playing and orchestral study when I came across an excerpt in Britten’s “Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra.” There is a tambourine excerpt that has a quarter note preceded by three grace notes. This section required the grace notes to be played very close to the release, yet still maintaining the articulation of every note. After spending what seemed like an eternity of time in the practice room on this concept, I fell in love with the feeling and sound of that particular triplet figure on the tambourine. It was that idea that became the impetus for this piece. My study of the classical tambourine excerpts gave birth to the different ideas contained in this piece. For instance, there is a section where the players have an extended pp roll. I once saw Neil Grover perform an extended pp roll which transitions into a shake roll and was amazed at not only his technique but also the seamlessness of the sound. This is what I call the “Grover” trick referred to below in the performance notes. This piece explores many (but not all) of the sounds and colors the tambourine has to offer. It is my hope that it may aid in your tambourine study and serve as a fun piece to help break the monotony of studying 4 bars of music at a time! Have fun!

- Bobby Lopez

Performance Notes Recommended Tambourines: Two tambourines of uniquely different sound and color. Recommended tambourines are the Black Swamp TD1 (chromium - dry and crisp) and the TD2 (bronze - dark and wet). At letter D the players should go from holding their tambourines normally to cradling them with the fingers (see Figures 1 and 2). This is done by turning the palm of the hand up and placing the fingers inside the tambourine. The instrument should lie horizontally. The player should then play on the rim of the tambourine with quick fingertip strokes using the index and middle fingers throughout (the ring finger may also be employed). For better control and an even drier sound, rest the wrist on the head of the tambourine while playing with the fingers. This section can also be played by cradling the tambourine on the knee and playing with both hands.

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

The triplet figures in this piece, excluding the ones at letter D, should be played with the following 4-point stroke in order to create a smooth, rounded triplet with a release note. 1. 2. 3. 4.

Begin with a tap stroke of the playing hand on the head. Stiffly holding the tambourine, snap it a couple inches in an upward motion. Snap the tambourine back, this time in a downward motion. It ends with a tap stroke of the playing hand on the head again.

All marcato accents should be played with the open palm on the head of the tambourine, creating a strong “slap” sound.

Rolls (See Notation Key on following page) Most of the rolls in this piece should be treated as standard thumb rolls with the “heel” of the hand providing the release of the roll. However, if it is more comfortable, these rolls can also be played with the middle or index finger, using the thumb as the release. In either case, all rolls that are tied should be interpreted as having a definite release. This release can either be played with the heel of the hand (for thumb rolls) or with the thumb (for middle or index finger rolls). The “Grover” trick is used for the extended pp rolls. The best way execute this roll is to hold the tambourine in a vertical position (see Figure 3). With the playing hand, place the index and middle fingers at the 6 o’clock position of the tambourine. Rapidly move your fingers in a back-and-forth motion with the playing hand. Keep the fingers in contact with the head during this motion. Allow the tambourine to vibrate back and forth with the playing hand. The player should increase the playing hand shaking pressure while executing the crescendo. During the crescendo the holding hand takes over the motion—seamlessly transitioning into a shake roll.

Fig. 3

Notation Key Slashed rolls should be played as either thumb rolls or middle/index finger rolls. (see Performance Notes on preceding page)

æ æ æ ææj æj æj æj æj ææ ææææææ ææææææ ææææææ ææ ææææ ææ ææ ææ ææææ ææææ ææ ourine ambourine Tambourine Tambourine 1Tambourine /1 1 œ/ 1/1œœ/œ/‰œ œœ‰ œ‰œœ ‰œ‰œŒœ œ Œœ Œœœ Œ œŒœœ œœœ œœœ œ œ˙ œ ˙œ ˙ ˙˙ ˙˙ ˙

ææ ææ ææ ææ œ œ œ œ

œ Œ

∑ / / / / / æ ææ æj œ Tambourine ‰ œ œ 1 Œ/ œ œœ

ourine ambourine Tambourine Tambourine 2 Tambourine 2 2 22

˙7

∑

Tambourine 2

∑ ∑ ∑∑ ææ æjææ ‰œ œœ œ

ææ ˙

ææ w

/

∑˙7

∑

ææ ææ ww

∑ ∑∑

˙7 ˙7˙7 ˙˙77˙7 ˙7˙7 ˙7˙7w7 w7w7 w7w7 ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ææ ææ ææ ææææ ææ ææææ ææ ææ ææ œ Œ ˙ œ œ˙ œ œ w ˙ ˙ ∑ w

˙7 Rolls with a ‘w7‘ marking should be played as “shake” ∑ rolls.

˙7

ææææææ ˙w˙

w7 ˙7

˙7

∑w7

∑

Level: Med-Advanced Approximate playing time: 2’30”

Conversation for two tambourines

> 3 ° 4 œœœ œ œ œ œ Tambourine 1 / 4

Bobby Lopez

q = 120 alla marcia

3

> ‰ œœœ œ œ

Ó™

3

A stay at f on 2nd pass 3 3 ° ™ œ œ œ œ œœœ œ œ œœœœ T1 / ™ on 2nd pass

3

° ™ œ œœœœ œ œ^ / ™

T1

3

6

3

™ ¢/ ™ œ f

°

13

T1

2.

3

/ œœœœ

œœœœ

mf

T2

¢/ œ

mf

°

3

^ œ œ œ œœœ œ œœœœ œ œ 3

3

œœœœ

3

œœœœ 3

3

ff

3

œœœœœœœ

B

œœœœ

æ ^ œœœ

> œ œœœœ 3

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^ 6 œ œœœœ œ œœœœœœ ™™

1.

3

™™

> 3 3 > æ ææ > 3 œ œœœœ œ œ œœœ œ œœœœ ˙æ

^ ^ ^ 3 ^ œ œœœœ œ œ œ œœœœ œ œ 3

ff

^ ^ 3 ^ 3 ^ æ 3 æ / œ œ œ œœœœ œ œ œ œ œœœœ œ œ œ œœœœ œ œ

^ œ T2 / œ ¢

3

œ œ œœœ œ œ

6

3

17

T1

œ œ œœœœ œœœœœœ ™™

3

> æ œœœ œ œœœœ ˙æ

3

œ

^ ^ 3 3 ^ œ œœœœ œ œ œœœ œ œœœœ œ œ

3

œ

6

3

^ œ œœœœ œ œ œœœ œ œœœœ œ œ

3

f

T2

3

œ œ œœœœ œ

f sp

9

3

œ œ œ œ œœœ œ œ œœœœ

™ T2 / ™ œ œ œ œ œœœ œ œ œœœœ œœœœœœœœœ œ œ ¢ stay at

3

œ

sp

f

œ œ

mf

5

f

3

œ œ œœœœ œ œœœ œ œ œ œ œœœ œ œ œœœœ œœœœœœœœœ

mf

4 Tambourine 2 / 4 ‰ ¢

3

> 3 œ œœœœ

^ ^ œ œœœœ œ œ 3

^ ^ æ ^ œ œœœœ œ œ œ œ œ Œ 3

3 > ææ > 3 œ œ œœœ œ œœœœ

æ ˙æ

æ œœ

æ ^ œ œœœœŒ

Conversation for two tambourines - Lopez

2

°

^ æ æ ™ / ™œ œ œ œ œ Œ

22

T1

C

mp

ææ ™ w ™ T2 / ¢

"Grover Trick" roll (see performance notes)

pp

°

ææ ™ w / ™

"Grover Trick" roll

26

T1

Optional repeat: Player 1 may improvise for an undetermined amount of 4-bar phrases

3 3 æ æ œ œ œ œ œœœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœœ Œ

æ æ æ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ™™

æ wæ

™™

æ wæ

™™

(middle/index finger rolls)

pp

finger rolls) ^ (middle/index 3 æ æ æ æ æ æ æ æ æ ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ™™ T2 / ™ œ œ œ œ œ Œ ¢

mp

°

æ ææ œ œ œ /

(thumb rolls)

30

T1

Optional repeat: Player 2 may improvise for an undetermined amount of 4-bar phrases

f

ææ œ T2 / ¢

æ ˙æ

æj æ ‰ œ œæ æ œæ

æj æ ‰ œ œæ Œ

(thumb rolls)

f

°

æ ææ œ œ œ /

34

T1

f

ææ œ T2 / ¢ f

°

. / Œ œ

39

T1

æj ‰ œ

æ ˙æ

æj ‰ œŒ

æ œæ Œ

æ œæ

.j ‰ œŒ

æj ‰ œ

æ œæ

æj æ ‰ œ œæ Œ

p

æj æ ‰ œ œæ

æ ˙æ

æ æ œæ Œ Œ œæ Ó

æ ˙æ

æj æ ‰ œ œæ

æj ææ ‰ œ œ

. . 3. . . T2 / œ ‰ œ œ œ œ ¢ TSPCD-08

æj ‰ œ Œ

p

æj æ ‰ œ œæ

D ™™ œ Œ <f>

sp

ææ œ Œ

sp

æ ˙æ

Œ

æ ˙æ

. . .6. . . Œ œœœœœœ

(see performance notes)

secco

pp

. .... ™™ Œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ secco 3

Ó

pp

. . . 3. . . . . . .6 . . . . . 3. . œ œ œœœœ œ œœœœœœ œ œœœ‰

. . .6 . . . . . . 3. . . . . . .6 . . . . œœœœœœ œ œ œœœœ œ œœœœœœ œ ‰

æj ‰ œ Œ

horizontal cradle position

rolls should flow from player to player

æ œæ

æj æ ‰ œ œæ

. 3. . œœœ‰

‰

. 3. . œ œ œ ™™

. 3. . . 3. . œœœœœœ‰

™™

Conversation for two tambourines - Lopez

°

. . 3. . / œ œœœŒ

. 3. . . œœœœ ‰

42

T1

cresc.

T2

. 3. . . œœœœ Œ

¢/ Œ

cresc.

°

. 3. . œœœ‰

45

T1

/ ‰

. 3. . T2 / œœœ‰ ¢ °

49

T1

. 3. . œœœ‰

. 3. . . . 3. . œœœ œ œœœŒ

. 3. . œœœ‰

/ œ œœœœ œ œ œ

¢/

. 3. . œœœ‰

Œ

∑

¢/ °

T2

3

morendo

3

˙7™

(shake roll)

Œ

∑

^ œ œ Œ

^ œ

œ Œ

æ œ œ œ

^ œ œœœœ œ Œ 3

^ œ œ œœœœ œ œ 3

f loco

Œ

æ œ œ ‰

^ œ œ Œ

^ 3 3 œ Œ œœœœ œœœœ Œ

œ

loco

f

to normal playing position

Œ

∑

f

3 j ^ æ / œ œ œ œ œœœœ ‰ œ œ

¢/

to normal playing position

∑

mf

58

T1

∑

3 j œ œœœœ œœœ œ œœœœœœœœœ œ œœœœ œ ‰ œ œ œœœœ œ 3

p

T2

. 3. . œœœ‰

∑

E ^qK = q = 180 3 ° œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœœ T1 / 3

. 3. . . œœœœ Œ

. 3. . œœœ

f

∑ 3

∑

54

. 3. . . œœœœ ‰

mf

3

. 3. . . . 3. . œœœ œ œœœŒ

. 3. . 3 3 3 3 3 j œœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ

. 3. . œœœ‰

morendo

T2

. 3. . . œœœœ Œ

Œ

. 3. . œœœ‰

. 3. . . œœœœ ‰

3

^ œ

æj œ œ

æ œ œ ‰

^j ‰ œ Œ

^ œ

^ œœ

œŒ

æj œ œ

æ œ œ œ œ

^j ‰ œ Œ

œ œ TSPCD-08

Conversation for two tambourines - Lopez

4

°

^ œ

62

T1

T2

/ Œ

¢/

3

œœœœ ‰ œœœœ

^ œ

> æ T2 / œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ¢ 3

TSPCD-08

3

œœœœ ‰ œœœœ

3

> w7

(shake roll)

fp

> ˙7™

(shake roll)

Œ

> æ œ œ œœœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ

^j ‰ œ Œ

3

> æ ° / œœœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ 65

T1

3

^j ‰ œ Œ

fp

3

ff

> æ œœœœ œ œ œœœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ 3

3

ff

˙7 ˙7

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

^ œ

Œ

Ó

^ œ

Œ

Ó

sfz

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