adaroll technique explanation

Most of this text and the pictures were published in an article called "Adaroll Technique" in the February 2005 issue in the Percussive Notes journal.

I learned not to say never, but I believe the Adaroll only functions with the Stevens grip.

The Adaroll technique is an expansion of the ripple roll technique, a one-handed ripple roll. It allows the player to roll loudly on single notes or small spread intervals because the motion is vertical from the arm and not a turning of the forearm as in the Stevens roll which loses dynamics in a small spread of the mallets. The roll works best on a single note or the interval of a second, but it also works for thirds and fourths. Wider intervals are possible but more difficult due to the pressure on mallets 1 and 4. Practicing this technique means searching for balance by not pushing mallets 1 and 4 down too much which dampens the bar, as well as controlling mallets 2 and 3 with the thumb and first finger so that they hit rhythmically and dynamically correctly.

please check out the photos

basic positions | left hand close ups

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The normal position of the hands and mallets for the Adaroll on one note begins outside the octave in front of the players torso and ends with outstretched arms. When the hands enter the octave in front of the torso the mallets have to invert to remain on one note. Specifically, when the left hand is in front of the torso or on the right side the mallets 1 and 2 have to invert, and when the right hand is in front of the torso or on the left side, the mallets 3 and 4 also have to invert. The mallets in one hand "crossÓ each other a tiny bit and the thumb turns toward the outside, slanting the hand a little. Sometimes for starting a trill on the inside note, you may have to double invert the mallets so that the inside mallet becomes the outside mallet. The hand is then angled more to the outside.

Tip: If your hands start to hurt, take a break. Do not practice wrong. This technique is easier with lighter sticks.

Special note, thanks to Robyn Schulkowsky: The speed of the strokes for a roll on the marimba is variable. It does not always have to be fast. Because the upper register of the marimba has less resonance, a soft roll there tends to be faster than a soft roll in the lower octave. Use the speed of the roll as a color. In general, a very fast roll is perhaps more intense or nervous, a medium or fast roll may be more full or voluminous, and a slow roll more open, relaxed, fragile or transparent. This is also a hint that in rolling with one hand the evenness of dynamics is more important than the speed.

specifics of the adaroll technique broken down into eight parts based on the exercises

1) Basic ripple roll with four and three sticks. This must be absolutely mastered first before working on the adaroll. Keep in mind that the thumbs are vertical or almost vertical for a ripple roll. The inside mallets 2 & 3 are HELD HIGHER than the outside ones, 1 & 4. That way they naturally strike the bar later. The ripple roll stroke is a vertical one, so do not turn the wrist. (A more controlled ripple roll is also possible by turning the wrists, but we need the pure vertical stroke for the adaroll.) While working on the normal ripple roll, we will sneak in the three different positions of the adaroll: normal, inverted and double inverted.

2) The first real adaroll exercise, which is derived from a three stick ripple roll. Let us define a ripple stroke as the single vertical stroke of the arm, and a ripple bounce as the two sticks hitting one after the other, either 1&2 or 4&3. I found for myself that I could play a ripple bounce in a triplet rhythm of eighth note quarter note from fast to slow with good sound and lift. This was comfortable. Then I asked myself why not try to play the next ripple stroke in the rest directly after mallet 2 or 3. Sort of a trick "fill in the blank". It was not perfect at first. (That is an understatement.) Remember to lift the mallets and work on smoothing out the rhythm and dynamics. About the grip on the mallets: THE TIP OF THE THIRD FINGER DOES NOT TOUCH THE BACK OF THE INSIDE MALLET, 2 OR 3. Therefore, the inside mallet is free behind the firm touch of the thumb, the base of the third finger and the second joint of the index finger. This is the main difference to the normal Stevens position. The ring and little finger are firm around the outside mallet, 1 or 4. The forearm and wrist are as supple as possible.

3) The adaroll as sixteenth notes to work specifically on evenness of rhythm.

4) This exercise is for moving the hands while adarolling. Using the very basic scale and arpeggio exercises, strive for evenness of the sixteenth notes and smoothness of movement while moving the hand to different notes.

5) The next series are quasi-phasing exercises. The object is to widen the ripple bounce rhythm, meaning that the inside mallet, 2 or 3, strikes in the middle of each beat. The first version goes from a tight ripple bounce (mallets 1&2 or 4&3) to an open one to the exact middle of the beat. Try and keep the forearm and wrist as supple as possible while the grip on the mallets remains firm.

The second version is based on the premise of having a comfortable, open, slow ripple bounce. Find a slow ripple bounce that still feels natural and practice it with a rest in between each stroke. Now keep each ripple bounce the same length but shorten the rest.

6) Exercise six concentrates mostly on switching hand positions between normal playing and using the adaroll. It also uses some phasing for help in starting the adaroll. I confess that while I made up this exercise I was thinking of the times I had read through some Bach inventions and wanted to be able to do a quick trill with one hand

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7) More position change practice. The next series is for working on the position change between the adaroll normal position and inverted position while rolling.

8) The goal of the next series is to play running sixteenth notes or triplets with one hand while the other plays a syncopated rhythm on top of that. The following exercises are unfortunately much easier to compose than to master. They are for more rhythmic control. DonÕt practice these until parts 1-7 are well underway. Be patient. Playing both hands together is easy. Leaving out mallet 2 or 3 by keeping it in the air is also not too hard Ð sort of like hopping on one leg. Now, with one hand playing adaroll sixteenth notes, play eighth notes with the outside mallet (1 or 4) of the other hand, but using the normal stevens technique. Concentrate on being exactly together with the outside mallet of the adarolling hand. After awhile both mallets of one hand can play unison with the outside mallet of the adarolling hand. Good. It gets more difficult.

Go back to the basic triplet rhythm of the ripple bounce, eighth note quarter note as in part two, with one hand and with the other practice playing unison with the two inside mallets. Again, you can start with both hands playing exactly the same together, then leaving out mallets 1 or 4, then playing with the correct Stevens technique with the one hand while the other is in the adaroll position. As with the phasing, try to smooth out the adaroll rhythm by playing the outside mallet earlier until it is on the middle of each beat. That is to say, the ripple stroke (the outside mallet) is on the off beat while the inside mallet of the ripple bounce is on the beat. After awhile both mallets of one hand can play unison with the inside mallet of the adarolling hand. Good. It gets more difficult.

Now go back to starting the adaroll on the beat with one hand and with the other play unison with the inside mallet of the adaroll hand on the offbeats.