Marimba Solo: Four Rotations by Eric Sammut - Rotation #2

[MagicalMusician15]

how old were you when you performed this and how long had you been playing?

[smshnk2010]

I've been searching for rotation #3, do you happen to have it?

[pkim9]

ahh, i'm playing this as a solo for a percussion concert. personally, i think your mallets are wayyyayayayayayayyyy too hard. for the most part, it's very accurate as to what he wrote, but i think you should interpret it a bit as well. plus, it's eric sammut so it should sound relaxed, whereas during the octave section is sounded a bit frantic.

[raddguitarlover]

I'm guessing you can't do this on a 4.3?

[tr0gd0r0090]

all the rotations can be played on 4.3s

[raddguitarlover]

No way! YES! Compared to Rhythm Song or Virginia Tate, what would you say the difficulty is of Rotation II and IV?

[tr0gd0r0090]

i've played all 4 and i would say in order of difficulty (of actually playing them well)

1. rotation II

2. virginia tate (debatable for 1 because of its length)

3. rhythm song (only because its exhuasting long)

4. Rotation IV

[raddguitarlover]

@tr0gd0r0090 Well thank you for your advice. :D

[pkim9]

@tr0gd0r0090 i don't know, i think four is the easiest of them all, followed by two. then 3 then 1.

[knightrider54]

So this is an ETUDE!!!! Although it sounds cool it is meant to be an excercise. Each of Sammut's rotations focuses on a perticular way of hand rotation. So, personally, I would change your double stickings in the left hand to the rotation from outer left to inner left. Just my oppinion though. Oh....and about the wrong notes. Some of the wrong notes you played consistently so i'm not sure if you thought they were wrong. So you might wanna check to see that all your notes are correct. NICE

[pkim9]

i did not like the beginning, it was ffffffffffaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrr­rrrr tooooooooooooooooooooooooooo loud.

[XTheCrowingX]

You are playing most of the initial rhythmic style with just the inside mallet... To me it makes it sound a little... tense, I guess. I like to do double lateral strokes when the left hand does "1e a e& 3e a4 &"

In my mind it just makes it sound more fluid and connected. It's also easier, in my opinion; it's more like a rotation then... as the title suggests.

Of coruse, that's just my opinion on how to play the piece. Your recording sounds fine. Love the shaping.

[saralynnrizcoXO]

out of curiosity.....what kinda mallets are you using in this?

[pkim9]

for this piece, using sammut's mallets would be the best choice.

[ltm0918]

i'm definitely digging the rubato, and i'm totally game for some dynamic expression but that intro is at piano. I mean add some swells and whatnot but I think you took it a little too far

[pkim9]

or no swells at all. i believe the beginning should be snuck into to and stay that way for the first set of repeats.

[Gugaperc]

nice job ! But I think that mallet in your right hand is too hard .. It not work on that piece ... I think you lose the "Legato" in some phrases ! Anyway ... It was amazing.

I am working on Rotation II too and I have watch some videos and listened some records and I think that is important to take the Sammut pieces more easy.

Have you seen the She-E Wu videos ?

She is very musician !!!

[BlueKSnare09]

Very nice man. Your interpretation is almost exactly what I want to play this piece like, I just don't have the technique to execute it yet haha.

[marimbaman89]

Hey - for some reason it wouldn't let me add a comment last night so I sent you a message instead which said a couple things. In addition to a couple notes which I think you learned wrong on the descending pattern at 1:09 and every time it reappears, I don't particularly like the way you phrase it with accents...otherwise, apart from this and the stuff in my message, great job! Keep it coming! Hope you had a great recital.

[drumplayer90]

hey, what size marimba do you need to play rotations? will a 4.3 work, or do you need a full 5.0?

[amork45]

4 and a 1/3 works. The only reason I used a 5 octave is because I wanted it at a certain height, and our 5 octave was the only adjustable height marimba.

[drumplayer90]

gotcha. i'm just wondering if I can work on it over the summer, because all I have is a 4.3. Guess so. Thanks man. Great job.

[d6byoung]

@amork45

and of course because it's a marimba one. well done, by the way. i like this piece, i was thinking of getting it myself.

[utley72]

What school do you go to? I'm starting at Baylor University School of Music next year and was wondering if you had any bamf advice for music majors.

[amork45]

For me, the two main things that it boils down to are:

1. You're only as good as what you put in

2. Once you reach a certian playing quality, it doesn't matter anymore how AMAZING your chops are. To get the gig, they'll pick the person with the most professionalism.

Go in with an open mind to learn as MUCH of the wide variety of percussion there is, when you graduate you can focus on what area you want to specialize. In college, LEARN how to teach yourself so after you keep getting better.

[utley72]

Bamf, thanks for the advice

:)

[buddy137]

wow thats great advice, it kinda makes me realize what i wanna do with my life lol, well u sound really good and thx for the advice.(even though it wasnt for me lol)

[jtomasel]

gorgeous. sounds great :) just curious what mallets did you use?

[amork45]

graduated keikos, 5 6 6 7. thanks!

[tenordrums137]

very nice! ive been tryin to thing of how to play this and youve given me some good ideas! oh ya i have a questin, ive been watching people play this on youtube but like noone plays the sticking written.

do you just play this the easyiest way for you?

[amork45]

I'm pretty sure I have been playing the stickings that were in the copy that I have, but if not, I just do what's most comfortable for me. It's not about the stickings, its about the music. Don't let minute details like that get in the way of a performance, focus on how you sound and where you want the melodies/harmonies to move.

[psand148]

Oh Mork, after hearing this I have decided that I will have your children, haha, nice job man.

Are you on the NZ's or did you switch to Abe's?

See you in Wind Ensemble

[coldisgood11]

Great job! How old are you?

[amork45]

Thanks for the compliment, I appreciate it!

I'm a junior in college.

[Hintn3]

Wonderful! except a few mistakes, but i dont mind about them! i'd like to hear more rotations! =)