Marimba Solo- Carvings on the Bonsai Tree

A great new marimba solo from R. Laney Percussion featuring three main sections: Thoughts of the Early Morning, Thoughts of the Midday, and Thoughts at Sunset. The piece features a variety of melodies based on the E-flat Pentatonic scale. Techniques range from quick lateral strokes to slow, moving chorale lines.

NOTE: There are a few inconsistencies between the score and the recording in some spots. The final score was edited after this recording was made, so please follow the score's notation in these areas.

This piece is available through R. Laney Percussion.
More information and music at www.RLaneyPercussion.com

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Marimba
• Solo
• Intermediate
• Advanced
• Pentatonic
• Carvings
• on
• the
• Bonsai
• Tree
• Ryan
• Laney
• Percussion

[Ragnarok649]

Would someone kindly explain how the 1 handed rolls work? Is it an octave roll or do you bunch the mallets and roll from the side, or something else entirely?

[RLaneyPercussion]

@Ragnarok649 For a one-handed roll that only effects one single note, you must angle yourself so that the two mallets in one hand are about as far apart as the distance between the closest edge of the bar and the point about an inch below the upper node of that same bar. To practice, roll normal 4ths and 5ths (e.g., C-F, C-G, E-B, etc.) and then (for that first E-flat) turn your body so that your arm is pointing to the low notes of the marimba and roll the one note. Hope that helps!

[wingsonwater]

Thanks for posting these - they allow me, as a first year music student (not a percussionist), to get a much better understanding of how marimba music is notated!

[RLaneyPercussion]

@wingsonwater If you ever have questions on marimba notation (or any percussion for that matter) let me know and I'll help you out! Do you write?

[vgfan100]

After many months of practicing, I have to say that the first movement is the hardest to execute because of the one-handed rolls and the multilateral passage starting at 1:18. If you can get that, this piece is REALLY fun to play! I'll be playing this piece in March using the following sticks:

Mvt. 1 and 2: Sammut ES12 in both hands

Mvt. 3: ES12's in the RH and Stevens LS5's in the LH and then put down the LS5's and play with two mallets for the final cadenza passage.

What do you think?

[GreenGoSolar]

☼ #SOLAR ♫ #LOVE ♥ #Liberty

[418angellove]

This music takes me back, mid-90s, when I played in high school band. I played bells, marimba, and vibraphone. It was very new for me because I had played French horn and mellophone. I had foot problems and couldn't march. I was placed in sideline percussion. I count it a blessing now. I learned a great deal playing these instruments. The band won a state championship (Indiana) and a national championship. One competition the base drum echoed., and it was us on the sidelines that kept the beat.

[vgfan100]

Woah! This sounds really cool especially the middle section starting at 2:02; it almost sounds like a jig there. I may want to attempt this for my college's mallet program for next year. I think it would be great for the audience to hear something that doesn't sound like just a bunch of random notes. That's why I love your pieces; the melodies are catchy, and the atmosphere the pieces makes are amazing!. Keep up the composing; it's great. =)

[wingsonwater]

@RLaneyPercussion Thanks! I'm in a composition class, and I'm just starting a piece for a quartet including marimba.

[PropsDrums]

Please keep on writing cool songs such as this one and Water wake