Ron Spagnardi wrote a terrific book called Snare Drum Duets: 25 Duets for Two Snare Drummers. It offers a selection of 25 challenging duets that range in difficulty from relatively simple to more complex. A wide assortment of time signatures is used throughout the book, from 2/4 and common time to 5/8, 7-8, and 12/8, among others. These snare drum duets can be used in several different ways. This month’s duet is in 4/4, and doesn’t stretch out (rhythmically) too much. Start at a slower tempo than you think you should, because it get’s more rhythmically dense at the end of the duet. And mind those accents, that’s what really makes this duet sing. Two players may use the book as written in duet format, remembering to alternate parts. The metronome marking above each duet indicates the suggested speed at which the material should be performed. However, the tempo can […]

January 2024 Issue