LD Smooth
for percussion quintet
LD Smooth is a fun, energetic piece for percussion quintet by Wesley Denkins. Heavily inspired by Rock music, this work aims to challenge developing percussionists in a chamber music setting. Common instruments found in any middle or high school band room are distributed between the players. The result is a groove-oriented work that features a unified, drumset-like voice.
Musical responsibilities are placed on all players at different points in the piece. Though some phrases feature two or three players in unison, the focus frequently shifts between individual parts, giving each one a moment in the spotlight. Denkins has crafted a piece that’s as accessible as it is enjoyable, great for young ensembles or college methods courses!
LD Smooth ships as a printed, professionally bound score, and includes individual parts in PDF format for printing or tablet viewing.
- Drums — concert snare drum, 2 concert toms, concert bass drum
- Cymbals — suspended cymbal
- Accessories — 3 temple blocks, cowbell
Reviews
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Joshua D. Smith –
In terms of literature for beginning/emerging percussionists, this 2½-minute piece stands out from the pack. From a genre perspective, it is rooted in rock music (emphasis on beats 2 and 4) and has opportunities for all players to share the spotlight. Consisting of nothing faster or more complex than sixteenth notes, this work is scored with moments of “solo” sections and figures that are in unison, and it also explores phrase shaping and musicality through multiple dynamic shifts and crescendo and decrescendo marks.
While this piece targets several important areas for young percussionists, such as rhythmic phrases that toggle between quarter notes and sixteenth notes, it also offers something not usually seen: a metric modulation! The first section (duple meter at quarter = 136) shifts to a 6/8 section by way of a quarter-note triplet. This middle section has a slow waltz feel with many opportunities for musical expression, as the melody gets passed around to all the players at some point. The transition out of this section is achieved by performing accented sixteenth notes that speed up to the original tempo, setting up an exciting and powerful ending. While it is not written in a strict A-B-A format, the effect is hinted at, and creates the cumulative effect of a percussive journey that has substance and worth.