Rhythyms of Bulgaria by GEORGE TANTCHEV (WORLD PERCUSSION AND RHYTHM/ VOLUME IX ISSUE 2, SPRING/SUMMER 2008)
A few years ago I was invited to teach Bulgarian Rhythms and form a Bulgarian Ensemble at the Old Town School in Chicago. To my surprise, the students in the class were not only eager to learn more about asymmetric meters but already knew a lot about Bulgarian folk music, culture and customs. Some of them even spoke the language fluently... more on page 25

Creativity with Irregular Meters by GEORGE TANTCHEV (PERCUSSIVE NOTES/DECEMBER 2005).
Musicians such as Dave Brubeck, Don Ellis, Frank Zappa, Rush, Bela Fleck, and other have applied irregular meters in their music. In many cases, this provides an opportunity for the drummer to be innovative. A good example is Rush’s song “YYZ” where Neil Peart exhibits creativity in 5/4 meter... more

Asymmetric Grooves for Drumset by GEORGE TANTCHEV (PERCUSSIVE NOTES/AUGUST 2004).
Agood-sounding groove sets up the proper feel for a tune and can make even a familiar melody sound more interesting. Such drumset players as Joe Morello, Steve Gadd, Jeff Porcaro, Omar Hakim, Dennis Chambers, and many others became legendary for the innovative grooves they created. In today’s multi-cultural world, where the tendency to blend different music styles with ethnic motifs and rhythms is growing, drummers can explore their creative potential by incorporating new elements into their playing. For instance, a different feel can be projected in a 4/4 groove if the eighth notes are grouped as 3+2+3. Such rhythmic articulation exists in Balkan folk music known as Heavy Macedonian Horo. Following are a few applications of the rhythm in several different styles... more

Applying Bulgarian Rhythms to Drumset by GEORGE TANTCHEV (PERCUSSIVE NOTES/DECEMBER 2003).
It was 1958 when a young jazz musician visited a crowded marketplace in Istanbul, Turkey. Fascinated by the sound of street musicians playing a rhythm he had never heard before— 1-2, 1-2, 1-2, 1-2-3—he wrote one of his classic jazz compositions. His name, as you have probably guessed, was Dave Brubeck, and the piece was “Blue Rondo A La Turk". Since then, asymmetric rhythms have become integral for pop, rock, jazz, new age, and other musical styles. Musicians began to blend different genres with ethnic motifs and rhythms. Some of them were also influenced by Eastern European music where asymmetrical rhythms abound. Especially rich in these rhythms is Bulgarian folk music... more

New Percussion Ensemble Literature by MARK FORD.
Finding new percussion ensemble literature can be a gamble. If an ensemble director hasn't heard a new piece, he or she must rely on the reputation of the composer, recommendations, or reviews. Usually, schools allow only a small budget for purchasing new percussion music. Spending money on music that doesn't fit the director's musical aspirations or the students' technical abilities is just "money down the drain." The aim of this article is to provide information concerning new music for percussion ensemble and hopefully take some of the risk out of purchasing new music. The following list represents new percussion ensemble literature that was submitted by publishers for my PASIC 2000 clinic, "New Percussion Ensemble Literature." Publishers were invited to submit newly published works in the spring of 2000. At PASIC, the University of North Texas Percussion Ensemble performed some of these selections, which are marked with an asterisk (*). The annotations were written and/or edited by me with the following UNT graduate students: Stephanie A. Carr, Brian Fruechtenicht, Brian Hanner, Nathan Ratliff, Sandi Sheuerman, Rone Sparrow, and Kyle Treadwell. In the next issue of Percussive Notes, we will publish a list of percussion ensemble pieces recommended by ensemble directors around the country. These lists are meant as a starting point for ensemble directors in search of new music. My thanks to all that participated in this project.
George Tantchev Butchemish - Ragtime* OU Press, 1999. What happens when you mix George Hamilton Green with Bulgarian folk music? You get "Butchemish - Ragtime!" This quirky, three-minute quintet is a xylophone solo with marimba, vibraphone, bass marimba, and percussion accompaniment. The percussion part states that either drums, tupan, or hand drums can be played, so ensemble directors can customize this part to their ensemble's strengths. This mixed-metered, fasttempo xylophone showcase should be a crowd pleaser.