Escape
for solo marimba
Escape by Larry Lawless is an upbeat and fun medium-easy solo for a young marimbist. Because the melody of the piece is interspersed between so many double-vertical strokes, where all four mallets play simultaneously, the player must focus on voicing each chord so that the top note is clearly audible and connects to the surrounding notes of the melody. This is a deceptively difficult technical challenge that will test the player and develop their ear at the same time. Escape will also challenge the player’s sense of rhythm, as it features many syncopations and requires a strong sense of continuous groove.
This piece ships as a fully bound score or as an instant PDF download for printing or tablet viewing. (This solo also appears in Sequential Studies Volume 2 by Julia Gaines.)
- Marimba (4-octave)
Reviews
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Josh Armstrong –
This work can be purchased by itself, and it is included in Julia Gaines’ Sequential Studies for Four-Mallet Marimba (Book 2). The piece is on the easier side and requires the use of only double vertical and single independent strokes. The piece as a whole is primarily made up of double vertical strokes. The widest interval required is only a fifth, and the smallest is a major second.
Larry Lawless incorporates some easy eighth-note syncopations in the hands, which makes for a great rhythmic exercise for younger students. The hands work in conjunction with each other, as neither hand is the main melodic voice. The piece is only two pages long and should take about a minute and a half to perform.
This work offers a good addition to the beginning marimba repertoire. With the use of two stroke types, eighth-note syncopations, and simple harmonies, this piece would be an excellent work for young students who are just beginning four-mallet study. This would be a possible precursor to a “Yellow After the Rain”-type of piece. Lawless has offered a great and accessible piece for young percussionists to be able to make music, while focusing on the new techniques required in four-mallet learning.