My favorite Instrument(s) to play

It is way too hard to pick what my favorite instruments to play are. Because I play so many instruments in the marching band and concert band, I will have to choose a list of my top 3 for the school band.

Tenors: I like the tenor drums because you read a melodic line. There are 4-6 drums (depending on what drum line you are in and what tenors you use). The drum line I marched in had 5 different drums that made up the tenors. It was challenging but fun once you got to learn the music. Switching between whichever drum you hit may involve a crossover or a sweeping motion. The tenors were nothing like any other instrument I have played in the line.

Snare: The snare drum is pretty easy in the concert season and marching season. The snare drum only reads one line, unlike the tenor drums. The snare drum focuses on rhythm rather than the melody. Marching with the snare drum was fun because we played with traditional grip. Traditional grip is where you hold the stick in your left hand so that you would play on a side angle, rather than a flat drum. The concert snare drum would have a regular grip and would usually be an easier rhythm compared to marching snare music.

Bass: The bass drum makes all the good beats. In marching season, the bass drums would start a beat to a cadence, and then the rest of the drum line would add on different parts to make a really good sound all mixed in together. In my drum line we marched 5 bass drums, each with a different pitch. These were called “split” basses. The bass drums would also read a melodic line, like the tenor drums. Since one player plays one drum, it would be a team effort to all play different parts where they add together. The bass drums were just a cool instrument to play.

Playing in a "rock band" setting, I prefer playing drums over guitar. I actually don’t play the drum set, but I play a cajon, or a drum box, for a smaller setting. This box has a snare (springs) at the top to make a sharper sound. If you hit more in the middle, it creates a lower sound, like a bass drum. You can get multiple different sounds from the drum depending on where you hit on the drum and the way your hand or fist hits the drum. It is a lot of fun making up your own beat, rather than playing what is written in the music. I think that the chords in a song for guitar are too repetitive. I like mixing the music up, and I can do that with the drums.