Rob Parks titled Blue Steel after a steel drum group he played in at the University of Kentucky, and the musical inspiration is easy to hear. The piece uses calypso rhythms, steel drum “strumming” patterns, and drumset influence. At points, the performer is asked to strike the bowl of the drum with one hand while playing on the drumhead with the other.
Full of character and an introduction to extended playing techniques, this work is ideal as learning material for developing players!
This solo can also be found in The Blue Book – Volume 3 along with over 40 other solos for snare drum, drum set, mallet keyboard, and timpani.
Blue Steel ships as a printed, professionally bound folio with a full color cover.
- 3 timpani (32’’, 29’’, 26’’)
Reviews
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Joseph Van Hassel –
“Blue Steel” is a welcome addition to the solo timpani repertoire in that it’s short, accessible, and suitable for beginning percussion students. Inspired by his time in the University of Kentucky steel drum combo “Blue Steel,” Rob Parks incorporates typical steelband, drum set, and strumming patterns. The piece calls for three timpani tuned to F2, B-flat2, and D3. I appreciate that there are not any tuning changes, helping with the piece’s accessibility. There are no rolls, allowing performers to focus on rhythmic articulation at various dynamics and contrasting musical characters.
The end of the piece asks the performer to play on a timpani bowl with one hand while playing on the drumheads with the other; this presents a coordination challenge. As always with these types of passages, the performer will need to use caution to not damage the instrument.