An Original Solo for Marching Snare Drum
A Van Down by the River
Solos & Duets
Unpitched Percussion
Advanced
Drumfield Designs
$12
Awarded 1st place in the Collegiate Division at PASIC in 2018.
Release Date: 2019-01-16
SKU: VA-002 / Release Date: 2019-01-16


As you'll notice, there are no stick tricks in the solo. I wrote this with the sole intent of experimenting with phrasing and rhythmic/sonic taste, as opposed to having a more visually oriented piece. As I usually do when writing solo pieces, I followed a general structure with three segments, or movements if you will. The first section introduces a motif that can be found woven throughout the piece, then builds into what can be described as an “opening statement.” The next section is much more groovy, with a buzz pattern felt in groupings of 5 that gets your head “bobbing.”
Also in this section are what are known as irrational time signatures (time signatures with non-duple-based denominators). I used these to change up the motif a bit, adding and deleting small chunks of rhythms to make it more intense and “stutter-ey.” After reintroducing the motif, the solo heads into a longer final section that showcases harder and faster rhythms, leading to a final statement of the original motif to cap it all off.
Marching Snare Drum
Sheet Music (PDF)
Audio: Standard/Click Tracks (Lossless & MP3)
Unpitched Percussion: Zachary L. Brumfield




