NICHOLAS V. HALL MOTION NO. 3 for
Motion No. 3 by Nicholas V. Hall © 2025 Tapspace Publications, LLC (ASCAP). All rights reserved.
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TSPCD25-001
PROGRAM NOTES
Written while I was living in Brooklyn and commuting daily to Manhattan on the subway, Motion No. 3 is a duet that mimics the bump and grind of city life. It is inspired by the noises, textures, and sounds from passing traffic, a busy subway station, or the repetitive rhythm of a train moving along the tracks. Glass bottles, rim clicks, cymbals, and bass drum hits combine to create a texture-based groove and melody that passes between the two performers. The combination of found objects, along with pieces of a drum set, gives it that subway street performer feel; the main feature is a hocket groove—derived from various styles of rock and funk drum beats—that drives the piece from beginning to end.
Motion No. 3 continues the series’ goal of challenging two individuals to act as a single unit, with each player performing separate sections of the primary and secondary musical material to create a cohesive whole.
— Nicholas V. Hall
PERFORMANCE NOTES
• The pitches of the glass bottles are not specific, as long as each player uses a distinct low, medium, and high pitch. Alternatively, players can use a variety of found sounds in place of glass bottles. These could be a mixture of metal objects, resonant wood slats, et cetera. Feel free to get creative as long as there is a distinct low, medium, and high pitch.
• One large and one small China cymbal should be used to create variety. Alternatively, other “trashy” sounding cymbals can replace the China cymbals.
• At letter F, the slash between dynamics means to play accents at ff and non-accents at mp. Any time similar material returns (letter G, m. 77, m. 79), assume the same dynamic interpretation.
PLAYERS AND INSTRUMENTATION
Motion No. 3 requires 2 players with the following instrumentation:
Player 1 — kick drum (mounted)*, 3 glass bottles (low to high), small China cymbal
Player 2 — kick drum (mounted)*, 3 glass bottles (low to high), large China cymbal
*shared by both players
