THE MUSIC OF ROD HERBERT
Concert Band In My Head
EACH COMPOSITION HAS BEEN CUSTOM-WRITTEN FOR A SPECIFIC GROUP OR STUDENT THAT I HAVE HAD THE PLEASURE OF CONDUCTING OR TEACHING. THESE PIECES WOULD FEATURE SPECIFIC STUDENTS SKILLS AND GIVE EVERYONE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHINE AND GROW.
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Beginning Concert Band
BIG BEN BLAST
$80 Hard Copy $50 PDF
Big Ben Blast
Brass and percussion fanfare!
Rousing symphonic march to open the big final year concert !
Alternative drum parts written for either advanced or beginner drummer.
Composed for St Mary's Primary School Junior Training Band in 2019
Dedicated to Sydney Music Educator Mr Colin Smith,
who has taught 1000's of children music including my own children!
Final year concert opener.
Grade 1.
ZOOT AND THE HONKERS
$80 HARD COPY $50 PDF
Zoot is the noisy leader of the gang! He knows 8 notes! The Honkers know 7notes!
Zoot could play past page 14!
The Honkers could only play page 10!
Everyone had a competition to find who would be Zoot!
Zoot can be a solo flute or trumpet or clarinet or saxophone with the Honkers!
Zoot can be a duet with the Honkers!
Zoot can be a quartet with the Honkers!
Written in 2015 for St Mary’s Primary Beginner Band premiering at the NSW School Band Festival.
A feature for the young enthusiastic flautist William and buddy’s Phoebe playing trumpet, Lucinda playing clarinet and Ben playing saxophone.
Zoot and the Honkers is fun!
GRADE 1
GROOVE SCOOTER MK1
$80 HARD COPY $50 PDF
Groove Scooter is The Funky Cool Cat.
Scooting, cabooting, cruising around town.
Riding the Funky Red Vesper with the matching Red helmet. Matching dark sunglasses with the matching Red suit.
Matching pointy polished shoes.
Matching black retro tie.
Matching funky cool demeanour.
The Cool.
The Hip.
The Dude.
GROOVE SCOOTER…………
Funky tune with Disco tendencies!
Groove Scooter MK1: Can be played at a slower rock tempo for younger band.
Groove Scooter MK2: Can be played in fast double time disco feel for a more advanced group with confident percussionists.
Two alternative drum parts have been written reflecting either version.
Written in 2008 for Marist College North Shore Intermediate Concert Band.
GRADE 2.5
Intermediate Concert Band
METAL MOUSE
$80 HARD COPY $50 PDF
Metal Mouse: the extreme drumming superhero!
Metal Mouse: the most extreme Metalist!
Metal Mouse: Roooocks! Roooocks! Roooocks! Roooocks!
Extreme Rock! Drummers Live to Rock!
The foo fighters of Dave Grohl !
The deep purple of Ian Paice !
Written in 2017 for two great young drummers, Dylan in year 6 and Ethan in year 4 from St Mary’s Primary School Senior Band.
World premiere performance in 2017 at NSW School Band Festival with St Mary's Primary School Band.
Classic Rock with surprises!
GRADE 2
SNAKES of AZKABAN
$80 HARD COPY $50 PDF
The Mysterious Desert with a secret………….
Sand dunes and oasis abound………….
Ancient temples and buried riches…………
Snake Charmers…………..
Harmonic minors and chromatics phrases
Triangles and finger cymbals
Exotic Melodies for all
Written in 2016 premiering at the NSW School Band Festival.
Composed for St Mary’s Primary School Senior Band.
SNAKES of AZKABAN
GRADE 2
GROOVE SCOOTER MK2
$80 Hard Copy $50 PDF
Groove Scooter is The Funky Cool Cat.
Scooting, cabooting, cruising around town.
Riding the Funky Red Vesper with the matching Red helmet.
Matching dark sunglasses with the matching Red suit.
Matching pointy polished shoes.
Matching black retro tie.
Matching funky cool demeanour.
The Cool.
The Hip.
The Dude.
GROOVE SCOOTER…………
Funky tune with Disco tendencies!
Groove Scooter MK1: Can be played at a slower rock tempo for younger band.
Groove Scooter MK2: Can be played in fast double time disco feel for a more advanced group with confident percussionists.
Two alternative drum parts have been written reflecting either version.
Written in 2008 for Marist College North Shore Intermediate Concert Band.
GRADE 2 or 2.5
More Pieces Arriving 2021
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SYMPHONIC WIND BAND
& Free
Warm Up & Ensemble Tips
Educating Minds With Music. Playing to Learn
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Wind Band Warm Up & Ensemble Tips
Symphonic Wind Band
GREGORIAN VICTIMAE 1100. A.D
$90 Hard Copy $60 PDF
Gregorian Victimae 1100.A.D is work for Symphonic Wind Band referencing back to the religious chant Alleluja Pascha Nostrum from the medieval period vocal tradition of Plainchant as sung by the early Christian Church Monks.
Initial peaceful lyrical melodic lines of Plainchant juxtaposed with fanfares of high energy percussive interludes from timpini and multiple percussion section.
Leading into an energetic martial percussive foundation sprinkled with swirling plainchant melodic fragments.
A moderato section of sinuously floating solo wind and brass phrases throughout the ensemble travelling across a bubbling glockenspiel ostinato and floating chorale of woodwinds.
Concluding with gigantic brass accents and the firebird excitement of percussive colours.
Written to feature a variety of fine instrumental soloists. First premiered by Marist College North Shore High School Symphonic Band in 2003.
Expanded in 2018 for optional STRING ORCHESTRA EXTENSION with Band . Performed by combined USA Fort Collins High School and Marist College Nth Sydney March 2018. 200 students performing from combined 2 concert bands and 1 string orchestra
GRADE 3
DA FUNK
$90 Hard Copy $60 PDF
Big Sound Groove, Energy and da Funk of a gigantic Marching Band and drumline! Superbowl Grooves!
Dedicated to the funkiest drummer who ever lived. Mr Clyde Stubblefield and Cold Sweat.
The groove and energy of James Brown, Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, The Funk Brothers, Curtis Mayfield and Stevie Wonder!
Listen up for these legends of 20th Century Popular Music!
DA FUNK features the drummer and percussion section. An improvised Alto Sax solo is also featured with both chords and a written solo channelling the funk sound of Maceo Parker.
Written in 2012 for Marist College North Shore Symphonic Band.
DA FUNK
GRADE 4
JAM SMOSH
$90 Hard Copy $60 PDF
Big Swing Jazz .
Big Swing Face Big Band Grooves.
The Jazz Big Band tradition of The Count and The Duke.
Jazz instrumental solo melody sections for the entire band.
Written Jazz solos for Alto, Trombone or Tenor, Jazz Flute with fire!
Scooby Doo Wha, Man!
Grade 3
Written in 2017 for St Marys Senior Concert Band
SUB TUUM PRAESIDIUM - CONCERT MARCH BY LOUIS LAMBILLOTTI SJ
$80 Hard Copy $50 PDF
KIMOVO ORO
$90 Hard Copy $60 PDF
KIMOVO ORO !
Macedonian Balkan Dance Celebration!
Kim’s Dance! Lively Party Festival Song!
Dancing to Macedonian Folk Dance Rhythms 5/8 7/8 & 9/8
Dedicated to Australian Musical Explorer Kim Sanders, who taught many of us Balkan traditions.
Written for Marist College North Shore Concert Band 2018
GRADE 4.5
Warm Ups + Band Tips
BAND WARMUPS SET 1 CHROMATIC SCALE EXTENSION / MAJOR SCALE CHORDS / CYCLE 5ths
Free
BAND WARMUPS SET 1 CHROMATIC SCALE EXTENSION / MAJOR SCALE CHORDS / CYCLE 5ths
These exercises are used at the start and throughout rehearsals teaching students:
- Chromatic scales into upper and lower register
- Unison instrumental blending
- Major scale chordal harmonies
- Cycle of 5th and 4th
BAND WARM UPS - CHROMATIC LONG NOTES AND BREATHING
FREE
GROWTH TIPS FOR CONCERT BAND
BAND WARMUPS – CHROMATIC LONG NOTES AND BREATHING
BREATHING EXERCISES
Breathing and lung development is everything in creating sound and a rich dark tone for both the individual wind player and the warm rich ensemble tone for a group.
Try the breathing exercises listed on the score. Use this at the start of every rehearsal.
Then try air breathing out one beat then breathing in for four beats.
Then try air breathing out one beat then breathing in for eight beats.
Then try air breathing out one beat then breathing in for twelve beats.
Get the ensemble to sing concert Bb Scale and tuning notes
“Wind And Song”
Look up the Works of Arnold Jacobs, the great Chicago Symphony Orchestra Tubist for over 40 years and Brass educator for hundreds of the worlds great wind players.
CHROMATIC LONG NOTE EXERCISES
Play the chromatic long note exercise as softly as possible to assist breath control.
After you have completed the chromatic exercise go back to the start.
Divide the starting note into three parts for each group of instruments to create a 3 note triad chord.
Then move up and down the chromatic exercise.
Clarinets, Trumpets, Tenor Sax pick either C E G notes.
Alto saxophones pick either G B D notes.
Flutes, Oboe, Trombones pick either Bb D F note.
Lower instruments should play the starting note and have the loudest volume in the mix.
Use the Pyramid of instrument Sound and Register.
Lowest Bass register instruments play 100% volume intensity.
Tenor Register instruments play 80% volume intensity.
Alto Register instruments play 60% volume intensity.
Soprano Register instruments play 40% volume intensity.
Do this a few times during each rehearsal and get the band used to the sounds.
Research and imitate the tone of the world’s greatest Wind orchestras such at The President’s, Tokyo Kosei Winds, University Winds etc.
Suitable for all level groups.
BAND ENSEMBLE GROWTH
CARMINE CARUSO EXCERCISES - FOR ALL BRASS AND ALL WOODWINDS
FREE
Carmine Caruso was one of the most important music teachers in New York where he help develop hundreds of professional brass musicians with the use of breathing and embouchure strength exercises.
These assist lip muscle development and breathing lung capacity.
Caruso rules: 1- Tap slow crotchet pulse.
2 - Do not move the mouthpiece from your mouth between phrases.
3 - Breath one slow four beat breath through your nose between phrases. Do nose breathing only for Caruso. Usually when we play we should aim to breath through our mouth only not breathing through nose allowing greater air capacity.
4- Notice how your face muscles feel as you play.
5 - Follow the instructions.
CLARKE DIATONIC PATTERNS FOR TROMBONE / TRUMPET USE FOR ALL INSTRUMENTS
FREE
Herbert L. Clarke, championed the use of diatonic major scale patterns in every major key moving by semitones. C major, Db major, D Major continuing across the complete octave ranges for all brass instruments. Very important for key dexterity, learning all tonalities, increasing performance range and performance muscle development and endurance.
Treble / Bass clef parts here that can be use for all instruments both brass, woodwind and strings.
REMINGTON MAJOR SCALE PATTERNS - BRASS ALL INSTRUMENTS
FREE
Emery Remington, the important brass teacher from Eastman School of Music, championed the use of the major scale patterns in every major key moving by semitones. C major, Db major, D Major continuing across the complete octave ranges for all brass instruments. Very important for key dexterity, learning all tonalities, increasing performance range and performance muscle development and endurance.
Treble / Bass clef parts here that can be use for all instruments both brass, woodwind and strings.