hi, i’m rob.
i play percussion in the metropolitan opera orchestra in new york city, i'm the founder of auditionhacker, and i want to help you figure out how to play things things like:
silky-smooth rolls on tambourine.
machine-gun snare drum rudiments.
those three f*cking measures in delécluse 9.
these lofty goals aren't out of reach.
with the right approach and practice strategies, there's nothing you can't do.
welcome to percussionhacker TV, the channel where i post everything i know about percussion in quick how-to videos once per week.
subscribe and learn.
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I get practicing when you have free time but losing sleep to practice isn't a good idea. Your productive output will actually go down when your mentally drained and need sleep. If your not using sleep hours I can see the point. If your extremely tired a cat nap can do wonders with a cup of coffee when you wake. I wouldn't sleep longer than 45 min though.
It would be extremely helpful to see a video overviewing how you generally take notes of these practice sessions. I see some examples with abbreviations but not sure what any of them mean P, Q, S, etc. I feel totally clueless when it comes to taking notes about myself sometimes
that is a GREAT idea - thank you! i will try to address this in the fall.
Great video! Curious which metronome you use to get such slow beats. I’ve got an old dr. Beat that only goes down to 35 bpm. Thanks!
it's an iPhone app called Pro Metronome and i very much do not pay for the pro version. you set the tempo and then you can select which beats you want to be silent. here's the link: apps.apple.com/us/app/pro-metronome-tempo-beats/id477960671
I'm an amateur timpanist in a few youth orchestras. I travel a lot by bus and train and always listen to the music I'm about to play. It keeps me occupied while travelling and the music seeps right into my subconcious, which allows me to develop an idea of my role in the piece way before I get to practice it. It's not the most time efficient method to get into a new piece, but when I'm in the orchestra I feel like I understand my parts better than most people around me
Actually, you give no word about how mechanically achieve the buzz. What angle, what strength, which hands position... I just can't achieve ANY buzz. You tell a lot (important) meta-data, but it's needed only when the very basics achieved.
hi, you are right that i don't go over grip in this one. you can check another video i made that goes over grip but it doesn't include the lesson of actually creating a very first beginner buzz. i could make that one in the future, thanks for the idea. kzread.info/dash/bejne/gph6zNWPqqmYnsY.html
If you have the Zoom H1N and a long-enough USB cable, you can plug it into a computer and use it as a stereo microphone.
yes - although i have heard that long usb cables run the risk of dropping signal, in which case you should consider a powered or “active” usb cable. i have not tried it myself so i can’t specifically recommend this.
@@robknopperstudio It's 100% not recommended, but definitely an "it'll do in a pinch" solutions.
I just learned how to do a buzz roll in my drum lesson this week, and your video is helping to iron out getting them to transition smoothly!
God mode upgrade would be putting the one click in different subdivisions. Like the 5th eighth note in 12/8, and ONLY the 5th eighth note. --5--- --5--- etc. Then onlythe 2nd, or 3rd, 4th, 6th, etc. I once practiced the whole Mozart concerto exposition with the metronome only clicking on the & of 3 in every other bar.
Thank you for your wonderful videos! I appreciate your teaching and wisdom.
thank you for your kind words!
hi! im agreeing with south geek down below. im an adult getting back on " the skins". i am self taught, from decades ago. i never took a lesson until last year. i did learn things so that was good. but im on you tube a lot, & i realized what he taught me is on you tube. then i found You. i always wondered how they did that. & just like the comment below, now i know what "this " is. that goes for the pull push thing for doubles too. altho i say throw grab. lol.. im glad someone on here is breaking things down. i need visual, explanation, & slow motion. i need to see it slowly, so i can actually see what the hand is doing. thank you so much for taking the time to help we drummers!! & there's another comment below here about a kid having to play the anthem. i know you made him feel like a million bucks!!!!
Great series Rob, it is a simple and incredible smart way to record and prepare anybody to improve and became a much better musician. Congratulations for your effort in these episodes gem. My deepest thanks.
Hey Rob! Do you have suggestions for software for PCs?
i don’t use pc but i have heard audacity is good
Thank you. I've been using the tape recorder but not on this level. That's probably why I'm getting cut! Thanks. 😊
Very good advice. Thank you!
If you're on a budget, and already have a recorder like the Zoom H1 which is a decent option, you could opt for a long usb cable and use the recorder as an interface thus removing the need to walk back and forth.
yes, although using a long, unpowered USB cable can cause signal loss so you may want to try a powered USB cable. i didn't mention it because i haven't personally tried this option but let us know how it goes.
@@robknopperstudio Good point! Haven't really thought about it and haven't tried it myself. But, considering relatively low cost of usb cables, it's an inexpensive risk to take. Hopefully someone who has tried it could shed some light! 🙂
Do you know how the quality is with other instruments? Like...clarinet?
Thoughts on a USB microphone like the Blue Yeti (no interface required)?
it's a good mic but as i mentioned in another comment using a long, unpowered USB cable can cause signal loss. an XLR mic with an interface can use as long a cable as you want but you might run into issues with a USB mic unless you get a powered or active USB mic. i have never tried it but let me know how it goes!
Very limited budget option: Shure MOTIV audio app. Turns your phones mic into a line level mic and has the option to record to WAV, MP3, ACC, etc.
well..Seems to work. Opening page of a Moscheles Etude in C has tempo marked dotted quarter =112. 6/8 meter with 6-16th notes per beat. After a LONG LONG time practicing this, I never got it past 80=dotted quarter. After this video, I tried the first page as demonstrated, with metronome at 112=dotted quarter. After about 20-30 minutes, I played the first page really accurately at 112=dotted quarter. I am certainly encouraged!!
awesome! so glad to hear.
Super!!!! great! thanks.
I'm 66 and have achieved a working memory like a gold fish. Your video (and Noa's blog) are really helpful in nailing down the reasons for my struggle and how to find a way to get out of it. THANK YOU.
so glad to hear!
All good advice but... how did you manage to have people to mock audition to for 42 days? Were they also preparing auditions and you listened to each other? Was this still within a college environment, or did you have to find a place (maybe rent?) for the auditions?
every day you think of a new person to play for! when i was in the middle of it, every day i'd play one and plan one for a week from today. you have to be resourceful - ask people who you don't know very well or who you aren't comfortable asking. ask friends, teachers, school administrators, teachers' friends, friends' teachers, people in colleges nearby whom you've never met. i would drive an hour away to play for someone if i had to. don't let this part stop you because someone else is doing it and they are gonna come to your audition more prepared than you!
This is mind-blowing 🎉🎉🎉
I bought a relatively cheap Sony recorder and was wondering why the audio made my soft playing louder and loud playing softer. It was a very disappointing purchase, but was unfortunately my only option for the recent recording rounds I did. Definitely take Rob's advice here. Your recording will suffer without proper gear, and you WANT to give your playing a fighting chance. For reference, I used a Sony IC Recorder. It's really no better than recording from your phone, if not worse.
I would also like to add that using said recorder means walking back and forth from the device...and yeah. It eats so much time. The positive is that you get your steps in. 😂
@@micahdavisonpercussion great advice (both things) thank you for sharing!
rob gave advice so fire, the fire truck came! Thank you Rob!
thank you!
Interesting video. While I don't listen to, or play classical music, I have always used this "self recording" technique! I just did not know it. The idea of a classical music tambourine is interesting. IMHO
I am trying to find the LR hand sticking for Lt Kije, anyone know about where I can locate?
it's here: academy.robknopper.com/p/snare-excerpts
Hello! It looks like the link is broken though.
@@hotlanta35 i just "published" the course on my page - can you try that link again or try academy.robknopper.com? let me know how it goes and email me at [email protected] for more help!
I appreciate that! Thank you!
Almost went a year without posting but the content quality makes up for it 👑
Really great how you highlight all the interdependent details of recording and the mental process, almost the "project management", which helps you get better. The importance of hearing what you play, removed from actually playing it, can't be overstated, no matter the instrument or genre. Looking forward to the other videos in the series!
I just get a blank screen when I click on the link below the video
hmm it’s working for me. what browser are you using?
@@robknopperstudioLink works for me too
Thanks a lot for your video and detailed explanations! Your video helps my practice a lot!
Great video. I start rehearsals for La Gazza Ladra next week and the first 6 bars are giving me nightmares.
lol too funny! these buzz rolls are tricky. i'm 6o, self taught & iv never done them before. i'm getting the hang of it. i started these things a couple weeks ago. i started finding my sweet spot yesterday. won't be long now. LMAO you can do this son! & because i'm speaking from the future, & this is in the past, I'm sure you knocked em dead.!!
Very helpful
I know this is late in the game, but your playing is great! Do you have any videos on your tuning approach? I have the same snare, but i can't seem to get the right amount of crispness (for lack of a better word) that yours has.
yes!! i have a whole series on this. you can see all 4 videos here: kzread.info/dash/bejne/p21t0tlrfpWYg9Y.html
@@robknopperstudio Great! Thanks so much!!
His videos are done so well and the information is so valuable
thank you seth!!
not me here not for an actual instrument but for help in taiko no tatsujin 😭
0:10
Delecluse etudes have never been hard for me to learn. However, its the type of music where you revisit it 10 years later and are finding new was to be anle to express it.
I am a sax player and play principle in a local concert band. I prep by using recordings, reviewing my part, marking, then playing with the recording, etc….. but I am not always successful in finding the correct arrangements on YT. Where do you get your recordings? I know, orchestra pieces are easier to find, but I am betting you know more about where to find these things than I! Thanks.
hi - usually spotify or apple music has a huge selection! if there are no recordings then that means it's an obscure piece. if that's the case then it levels the playing field because NO one in the group will have studied the recording.
Rob thank you for these amazing videos. I made all state this year and even got invites from colleges and I've still got 2 years left of highschool! Thanks for everything.
woohoo!!!! congrats!
0:57; 2:17; 7:23; 8:20
this is how i've been practicing my pit orchestra music recently. not because I watched your video or because I thought it would be better, but because I keep getting annoyed at difficult passages and so I switch to something else. after about a week I was able to run through a few sections and play them first try!
excellent!!
Do you have any suggestions for similar substitutes for the malletech OR39R mallets? Specifically if you're trying to audition with Porgy and Bess?
any reason why you don't want to/can't use the OR39Rs? they would be my #1 recommendation. something very similar is the chris lamb CL-X5s. disclaimer: i am an innovative endorser but they actually are the ones closest to the OR39Rs and sound almost as good. www.innovativepercussion.com/products/christopher_lamb_xylophone_mallets
@@robknopperstudio omg thank you for replying! I would totally get the OR39Rs, but I can't seem to find them in any of my local stores (Canada) and I'm afraid that if I buy them online from US stores, they won't arrive in time. Also, would you happen to have brass mallet recommendations for the glockenspiel excerpt for "The Magic Flute"? Thank you.
I'm a rock drummer but I wanted to challenge myself with this piece. I use this video for reference, but I am still working on it at half speed. I have a question. In measure 11 did you play the roll a sixteeth note longer?
nope! not intentionally, at least.
Awesome!
Hey Rob, I've been working on sight reading recently. I find that sometimes I just assume I can play the music and start playing, then play wrong. What should I look for in a sight reading setting and how do you approach sight reading?
i have a couple videos already about sight-reading - if you search "rob knopper sight reading" in youtube you'll find them. i would recommend to start developing a pre-sight reading routine, where you have a short checklist of items that you go through right before you start playing. tempo, key signature, scan through the music and figure out the general type of material and any roadblocks that you might find, etc. if you start sight reading every day and continually updating this pre-sight reading routine, updating it each time you make mistakes, you'll definitely improve!
It's interesting on how Steven White says to work on the second note of the double because Tommy Igoe ( great teacher drummer) says work on the FIRST note of the double- not the second note which is the opposite of what we've been taught. Reason? The big brother first note is a bully to the little brother second note in which the second note will NEVER be equal to the first note and it's just a matter of lessening the bulliness of the first note to EQUAL the second note😊👍🏻 @robknopperstudio
Thank you Sir! I'm finding some great help here to fill in gaps in my classical training, which as a working jazz drummer I've never really got round to doing since my conservatory study. I've often thought to my classical teacher at the time: "How I wish I could ask him this or that today." I tried to download your list, but the LINK WAS NOT WORKING? Anyway, thanks!
really? it's working for me. did you click the link in the description robknopper.com/practicetired ? you can also try this one directly: www.robknopper.com/blog/2020/2/14/how-to-practice-when-youre-tired
Thanks@@robknopperstudio ! Yes, description link worked. It's the actual download button link that didn't work from here ....
I bought a rob knopper Delecluse score and I'm playing it, but I don't think I can do 66 or 69 tempo because there are a lot of rolls. What tempo in this vid? 52 Tempos?
it's about 60! no problem taking it a bit slower than what's written... it's basically impossible to play clean at that tempo.