R!Solo: Study for Snare Drum

This short etude for snare drum is a study in combining mixed meter, rolls, and embellishments. Throughout the changing time signatures, the eighth-note pulse should remain constant. As the rolls crescendo and decrescendo, strive to maintain a consistent roll quality. Given the extensive use of rhythmic embellishments using flams, drags, and ruffs, it is critical to maintain rhythmically precise placement of each main note and keep all grace notes very low to the head to ensure clarity of the rhythmic framework without disrupting the meter or tempo. 

I hope you enjoy this “Study”!

Dr. Caleb Pickering is an instructor of percussion and music theory at James Madison University. As a performer, he has been invited to perform and speak to university students throughout the U.S. and abroad, most notably for the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in the U.K. He was the 2019 composer-in-residence for the World Percussion Group and has received numerous international commissions from universities, ensembles, and individuals.