2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog

MUS 274 Percussion Techniques

An introduction to the fundamentals of playing, teaching, and maintaining percussion instruments, including hands-on experience with various instruments and simulated classroom situations. 

Credits

2

Offered

Fall, alternate years

Student Learning Outcomes

  1. To understand the pedagogical approach to teaching percussion to students at all public school levels and demonstrate rudimentary performance skills on the various percussion instruments.
  2. Demonstrate performance skills to be learned through outside and in-class assignments and reading of percussion ensemble and solo literature at different levels of proficiency.
  3. Practice and perform using world percussion instruments using current literature and improvisational techniques.
  4. Learn to understand percussion notation through short composition assignments presented and performed for the class. Band, orchestral, and world percussion instruments will be included in those projects.
  5. Learn to use technology to augment the teaching and evaluation of percussion performance.
  6. Music literacy will be developed with each student given the opportunity to rehearse a reading session of percussion literature. Pedagogy, including conducting and rehearsing techniques, will be discussed and demonstrated with the class throughout the semester.
  7. Music of Other Cultures: Students will learn about music of other cultures through study of those instruments, primarily music descended from African cultures through study of “Latin” instruments.
  8. The student will learn pedagogical and performance skills in the following areas: