Trap Door
General Info
Year of Published: 2021
Publisher: Tapspace Publications
Difficulty: Elementary
Duration: 00:01:51
Instrumentation
Player 1: Snare Drum
Player 2: Castanets & Vibraslap
Player 3: Wood Block & Cowbell
Player 4: Suspended Cymbal
Player 5: Bass Drum
Player 6*: Snare Drum
Player 7*: Tambourine & Cabasa
Player 8*: Tom Tom (High)
Player 9*: Triangle & Finger Cymbals
Player 10*: Tom Tom (Low)
Mallet Suggestions from the Composer
Player 1: Concert Snare Drum Sticks(IP-LD) & Light Brushes (BR-2)
Player 2: Concert Snare Drum Sticks(IP-LD)
Player 3: Concert Snare Drum Sticks(IP-LD) & Medium Rubber Mallets (F9)
Player 4: Concert Snare Drum Sticks(IP-LD) & Medium Triangle Beater
Player 5: Bass Drum Beater (CB-1) & Soft Timpani Mallet (CT-1)
Player 6: Concert Snare Drum Sticks(IP-LD) & Medium Mallets (JC-2M)
Player 7: Concert Snare Drum Sticks(IP-LD)
Player 8: Concert Snare Drum Sticks(IP-LD) & Medium Mallets (JC-2M)
The Rationale
Don't we all love the sight of the snare drummer in the back of the room with sticks hanging out of one pocket and a triangle beater hanging out of the other? How about the glockenspiel player with their mallets on the floor? The thought, "I really should put those mallets somewhere else..." rarely occurs to a young percussionist. Trap Door is primarily designed to help young performers become comfortable using an accessory station or trap table. A well-planned trap table can go a long way in developing a sense of organization and responsibility. A secondary focus of Trap Door is counting rests through busy passages. We often teach using unison lines to the point where students develop strength in numbers. It can be intimidating when that confidence is taken away, so in this piece we wean them off through progressively interrupting a repetitive pattern.
Primary Focus: A well-planned trap table can go a long way in developing a sence of organization and responsibility.
Secondary Focus: Counting Rest
Recent Performance
Notes to Performer
A common full band rehearsal setup would have one trap table for snare drum and bass drum player, one for accessories players, one for keyboard player and one for timpani.
Use black towels for the trap table.
Works for Percussion by this Composer
Mallet Ensemble
Home by Sundown - Marimba Trio
Flexible Percussion Ensemble
Follow Suit - 6 to 10 Players
Low Tide - 7 to 10 Players
Mi Milagro - 3 to 8 Players
Multitasker - 4 to 8 Players
Traumatic Chromatic - 6 to 9 Players
Trap Door - 5 to 10 Players