Burritt-Etude Nos. 4, 5 & 6-M

Dedicated to Leigh Howard Stevens, these three etudes focus on various advanced 4-mallet marimba techniques, such as double laterals, uncommon sticking permutations, independent rolls, metric modulations, and independence between the hands.

Etude No. 4 was conceived to develop dexterity, strength, and endurance in double lateral, four-mallet sticking technique. The sequential sticking pattern 123234 is a pattern I use in a variety of applications in everyday practice.

Etude No. 5 is an exercise that develops independence between the hands. It centers around rolling in one hand while playing rubato in the other. The etude also works much like a multiple percussion piece in that the performer is required to make mallet changes in one hand while rolling in the other.

Etude No. 6 develops both rhythmic and dynamic independence between hands as well as one-handed rolls, double lateral and double vertical strokes. This is also a good exercise for developing consistency in octave passage work. A good sense of pulse is important in order to bring off the metric modulations in the etude.

• Number of players: 1
• Difficulty: Intermediate/advanced
• Instrumentation: Marimba (4.5 octave)