Equipment Needs for First Year Majors
Minimum supplies for first year percussion majors at the University of Maine
This is a list of mallets, books, and gear that you should have to begin your percussion studies at the University of Maine. Since there are many makes and models of sticks and mallets, I will give a generic description followed by some specific examples. If you already own something similar to what is listed you need not purchase new at this time, but as your percussion career continues, you will find that you may very well end up with several different brands of the same kind of mallet.
Budget
In addition to these initial acquisitions, you should budget from $400-$600 a year for new mallets, sticks, books and accessories such as tambourines, triangles, castanets etc.
Where to buy
Your local music store is a valuable resource to the community that deserves the support of your patronage. There are, however, mail order discount establishments that, due to the volume of their trade, can offer very heavily discounted merchandise. You must decide for yourself which route to take. If you decide to use the mail order, I recommend Steve Weiss tel. 1.888.659.3477 or check on Amazon. Be sure to know exactly what make and model you want before you call or search. The sample prices and model numbers below are from SteveWeissMusic.com and are subject to change.
| Description | Make | model | price |
|---|---|---|---|
| set of 4 medium yarn marimba mallets | Vic Firth | M162 | 49.00 |
| set of 4 medium hard yarn marimba mallets | Vic Firth | M163 | 49.00 |
| set of 4 multi-tone yarn marimba mallets | Vic Firth | M164 | 51.00 |
| set of 4 med hard cord-wound vibes mallets | Vic Firth | M32 | 76.50 |
| pair of medium rubber mallets | Vic Firth | M5 | 17.50 |
| Description | Make | model | price |
|---|---|---|---|
| pair of heavy concert sticks | Vic Firth | Ted Atkatz | 8.50 |
| pair of light concert sticks | Vic Firth | SD2 | 6.50 |
| pair of medium or light sticks for jazz | Vic Firth | SPE | 7.95 |
| pair of brushes | Vic Firth | WB | 17.95 |
| Description | Make | model | price |
|---|---|---|---|
| pair Dolce Articulate | Vic Firth | Gen4 | 45.50 |
| pair Staccato | Vic Firth | VFT3 | 24.50 |
| pair Hard Tonal | Vic Firth | Gen6 | 28.50 |
| pair ultra-staccato | Vic Firth | VFT4 | 21.95 |
| pair wood | Vic Firth | VFT5 | 13.25 |
Books
This, of course, depends on your level on each category of instrument. There are many other titles that would also serve our purpose so you may already own alternatives that will work. This list, however, reflects what most of our first-year students end up buying.
| Author | Title | price |
|---|---|---|
| Goldenberg | Modern School for Snare Drum | 18.90 |
| Cirone | Portraits in Rhythm | 10.95 |
| Firth | The Solo Snare Drummer | 9.85 |
| Goodman | Modern Method for Timpani | 17.95 |
| Firth | The Solo Timpanist | 13.45 |
| Reed | Syncopation | 7.15 |
| Chester | The New Breed | 16.15 |
| Goldenberg | Modern School for Xylophone, Vibraphone, and Bells | 16.20 |
| Kraus | Modern Mallet Method — Vol. I | 17.95 |
| Gaines | Sequential Studies for 4-Mallet Marimba | 19.95 |
| Bach | Bach-Bach for Solo Marimba arr. Chen-M | 15.95 |
| Brand | Model | Description | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smartphone app |
Tuner
First of all you need a tuning fork: A440. A tuner would be very handy to check your ear when practicing timpani tuning. The Korg DT-1 works well, but any chromatic tuner would do.
| Brand | Model | Description | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wittner | Tuning Fork: A-440 | 8.95 | |
| Smartphone app |
Stick bag
In order to organize and protect your investment, you should have a stick bag or mallet case. The Stevens Tour Bag is a good choice, but you have many options.
| Item | Size | Capacity | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| LHS Tour Bag | 36″x21″ | Holds approx. 32 pr. | 79.95 |
or
| Item | Size | Capacity | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| LHS Half Size Bag | 16″x21″ | Holds approx. 16 pr. | 57.95 |
Total for these items: $648.95 (less what you already own)