This month – October, 2020 – Keyboard Percussion Publications released a new edition of my Eight Etudes for Snare Drum. The etudes included in the collection were composed during 2005 and 2006, and formed the seventh and final part of Rudimental Arithmetic – A Drummer’s Study of Pattern and Rhythm, published by KPP in 2008. All of the pieces were created using concepts described in detail throughout the book, and although it is not strictly necessary to study and practice these ideas in order to play the solos, familiarity with the principles certainly will illuminate the structures underlying each piece. Some of the etudes are rhythmically complex; however, the notation is consistently rudimental style, and is entirely within the traditional conventions of classical metric staff notation. During the twelve years following the publication of Rudimental Arithmetic, many of these compositions were chosen as required pieces for major snare drum competitions. Consequently they have entered the standard recital repertoire for percussion, and the publication of them independently of the original book seems appropriate at this time.
I am grateful to my percussion friends and colleagues who made the expert translations of the text. Fritz Hauser made the German translation, which also was reviewed by Johannes Fischer and Steven Schick. Jean-Norman Iadeluca made the French version in collaboration with Etienne Gendron and Daniel Chibok. Yurika Kimura created the Japanese translation, as well as the final layout and design of the book.
