Lot Tunes

This exercise involves some different concepts than your normal one.  It does feature expanding intervals at the beginning, but then moves through different arpeggio patterns including half steps, whole steps, minor 3rds, major 3rds, perfect 4ths, major chord shapes, and finishes with a tag of expanding intervals and blues scales.

Performed by ensembles such as Rhythm X and Carolina Crown, this classic lot tune is based around a permutation pattern inspired by the piece “Scirocco” by Michael Burritt.  First half (Sad) is in a minor key and subdued volumes, while the second half (Happy) is in a major key and loud.  It’s not just a clever name!

This is a scale exercise that features different patterns that are commonly used in my pieces. Play this etude holding two mallets or four mallets (working on inside mallet chops). It can be applied to all types of scales (major, minor, harmonic minor, etc.)

This is a good piece to get your hands going at the beginning of rehearsal. The patterns feature one stationary note playing double stops with a moving pattern in the other hand. Play this etude holding two mallets or four mallets (working on inside mallet chops).

This etude is meant to be a catch-all 4-mallet warm up. It is set up to insert different types of permutations into the chord structure (block chords, 8th note and 16th note permutations). It features patterns in 4/4 and 3/4. Work on technique while playing music that is pleasing to the ears!

Another classic lot tune performed by ensembles such as Rhythm X and Carolina Crown! The main focus of this exercise is to work on expanding intervals within permutation patterns and develop a stronger interval change technique. Vibraphones get in some right hand octave work in the back half when the groove shifts from a 4/4 groove to a 12/16 groove. This one is a lot of fun for the synthesizers too!