Com o intuito de responder a diversas indagações, esta tese objetiva traçar em um plano cronológico os caminhos percorridos pela marimba desde os primórdios na história até as primeiras composições brasileiras na década de setenta. Apresentamos para isso um panorama deste processo, procurando elucidar aspectos do desenvolvimento da técnica de quatro baquetas em obras solistas ou em grupo de câmara, bem como os desdobramentos da escrita para o instrumento. Ao Divertimento para Marimba e Orquestra de Cordas de Radamés Gnattali, por se tratar do primeiro concerto brasileiro para marimba, são aplicados procedimentos quanto ao uso desta técnica. / This thesis aims to answer chronologically many questions regarding the marimba history, since its origins through the first Brazilian compositions during the 70´s. This process is presented to clarify aspects of the development of four mallets marimba technique in pieces for chamber music or soloist as well as to analyze its writing. Considerations regarding this technique are applied to the Divertimento for Marimba and String Orchestra, the first Brazilian concert for marimba.

A student's sight-reading ability directly affects the speed and quality of their learning, especially for those at the beginning and intermediate levels. Sight-reading on keyboard percussion instruments is typically very challenging for percussionists because percussion instruments are the only kind of instruments that the player doesn't physically touch when they play them. The player is removed from contact with the instrument through the use of mallets. This document will cover the topics of body movements, kinesthetic sense, music pattern recognition, sight-reading strategies in different levels, and music resources for instructors. Students who develop better sight-reading skills will learn new music faster, improve accuracy on the instrument, and increase their level of self-confidence.

This research identifies successful compositional techniques for voice and marimba, intended for a single performer, through comparison of commissioned works composed by Beth Caucci, Philip Rothman, Emmanuel Séjourné, Raymond Helble, and Roger Foreman. The comparison highlights musical and technical aspects most effective when writing for this genre. My first personal experience combining marimba and voice occurred in January, 2003 during a performance of Šta Vidiš by Nebojša Živković. The piece, written in 1990, involves an ancient Serbian text chanted over a drone following an improvised introduction on the marimba. The performance’s positive reception inspired further exploration of this instrument combination. At the time of the performance, additional pieces for solo voice and marimba intended for a single performer were not available. Rather than focusing on transcription possibilities, I commissioned Four Songs by Beth Caucci. The premiere of Four Songs (October, 2003) resulted in another positive reception and led to inspiration for further commissions and development of this new genre. During the commissioning process, it became clear that a practical guide, concerning the possibilities and limitations of singing while playing the marimba, would aid composers in the creation of effective and playable works. Composers asked questions regarding technical aspects such as the maximum arm-span range possible, the difficulty of shifting the body angle to reach chords in various sharp and flat arrangements, and the feasibility of performing rapid passages on the marimba while sustaining a vocal line. This document offers an examination of these and other compositional considerations. The guide may also be used as a commissioning resource for other marimba and voice performers, as well as an aid in addressing technical demands of singing while playing the marimba. Recently, a few other percussionists have been working in the genre as well, including works performed, commissioned, or written by Brian Calhoon, Louise Devenish, Michael Neumeyer, and Dr. Lee Hinkle. The work of these musicians, in addition to my own commissions, is an illustration of how the genre has progressed during the last eight years and indicates the possibility of continued growth.

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This thesis is a musical composition featuring solo percussion with wind ensemble. It is in three movements with a cadenza linking the second and third movements. The performance time of this work is approximately 12’ 30”. The work will receive its world premiere in the spring of 2014 by Adam Groh and the Graceland University Symphonic Band. / text

Chorale settings for marimba can be used in conjunction with traditional pedagogical exercises to improve mallet placement precision by increasing a marimbist's kinesthetic awareness and knowledge of interval spacing and the marimba keyboard layout. These improvements will lead to greater note accuracy and consistency of tone. Chorales are an excellent tool for improving marimba performance because of their combination of repetitive vertical movement and slow horizontal movement, which gives the marimbist time to isolate and improve specific areas of technique, including mallet placement. Mallet placement precision on marimba includes striking the correct bars for note accuracy and striking a precise chosen location on each bar for tone consistency. This document includes a guide for improving mallet placement through the focused practice of chorale excerpts from seven original compositions for marimba. Appendix A of this document lists chorales recommended for use as practicing material to improve marimba technique. This document is intended to assist intermediate and advanced marimbists in gaining a greater kinesthetic knowledge of interval spacing and the marimba keyboard layout through the practice of four-mallet chorales. The purpose of refining these areas of technique is to develop consistency in accurate, autonomic mallet placement, freeing the marimbist to focus on other elements of performance, including musical interpretation and expression.

The transcription was an integral part of the marimba repertoire for many years. However, the range and technical advancements of the time limited the transcription process. Often the marimba part would consist of the melody while a piano would be utilized to fill in the accompaniment and notes not able to be performed by the marimbist. The marimba and piano share many similarities that allow for successful transcriptions between the two instruments. This document focuses on the transcription of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century keyboard music for the marimba duo setting. It is the opinion of the author that better transcriptions can be attained through the utilization of the modern range of the marimba, techniques used in marimba performance, and two marimbas. By omitting the traditional piano accompaniment, transcriptions can be better executed through the use of one timbre, as is used in the original keyboard work. Presented in this document are six arrangements realized by the author that demonstrate the possibilities for transcriptions in today's percussive world.

ANALYSIS AND INFORMATIVE INTERVIEWS TO AID IN THE PERFORMANCE PRACTICE OF THE CONCERTO FOR MARIMBA AND STRING ORCHESTRA BY ERIC EWAZENThe research found in this document will assist in a performer's preparation of Dr. Eric Ewazen's Concerto for Marimba and String Orchestra. In order to give an informed performance of the work, it is this author's belief that an understanding of the collaboration between the composer and the premiering artist, Ms. She-e Wu, as well as the impact Ms. Wu's artistry had on Dr. Ewazen is paramount. Also, knowledge of Dr. Ewazen's compositional style, reference to his other works for percussion, and an understanding of the structure of the work will assist future performers in demonstrating a well-versed and rewarding performance of the piece. This study presents insightful interviews from both the composer and the premiering artist. These interviews offer a wealth of understanding into the composition and performance of the work. The performance practice suggestions offer tools to interpret and prepare the piece. Though the Concerto may be a challenge for many marimbists, this author hopes that future performers find the rewards in this well-constructed and exciting work after reading this document.

Musicians have transcribed and adapted Johann Sebastian Bach's Sonatas and Partitas for Violin Solo, BWV 1001-1006, since Bach penned the works around the year 1720. Bach, himself, transcribed much of the material, adapting it for organ, harpsichord, lute, or even for his sinfonias and cantatas. It was also common for performers of the time to personalize these pieces with ornamentation, improvisation, dynamics, rhythmic interpretation, and in some cases, changes in pitch material.It is in this spirit that the author introduces marimba performance editions of Bach's Sonata no. 1 for Violin Solo, BWV 1001, and Sonata no. 2: Grave, BWV 1003, based on performances and transcriptions by guitarists and lutanists. The guitar and lute were selected as models due to their similarities to the marimba as well as the abundant resources that guitarists and lutanists have provided regarding Bach's unaccompanied string music. Their transcriptions and performances frequently include adaptations to fit their instruments' polyphonic abilities and sound characteristics. A similar approach is likewise suitable for the marimba. Thus, the present study includes an overview of Baroque performance practice as it relates to plucked-string instruments, analysis of published lute and guitar transcriptions of Bach's unaccompanied string music, and transcriptions and analysis of lute and guitar audio recordings. The plucked-string artists and scholars' approach is then assimilated into an authentic marimba performance edition of these works.

abstract: The music of Johann Sebastian Bach has long been used for keyboard percussion pedagogy and performance. The cello suites (BWV 1007-1012), in particular, are popular choices for marimbists. As with many transcriptions for marimba, performers are challenged to transfer Bach's musical genius onto an instrument whose timbre, range, mode of execution and acoustic properties are distinctly different from the original. To date, there is no concise and relevant edition of the suites for study and performance at the marimba. The edition contained herein solves most, if not all, of the problems normally confronted by marimbists. In addition to synthesizing the most salient information from early manuscript sources and modern performances, this edition corrects the harmonic and voiceleading problems that are caused by the polyphonic limitations of the cello. This edition also eliminates performance notations found in most cello editions which are of little use to a marimbist. / Dissertation/Thesis / D.M.A. Music 2010