Your percussion students might be excited about Hal Leonard’s new releases. In February 2021, the company announced four new books, all made up of familiar songs, for beginning and intermediate mallet percussionists.
Three of the books are “First 50 Songs” for marimba, vibraphone, and xylophone. According to Hal Leonard, they feature pop hits, movie themes, jazz tunes, and classical melodies written for two mallets. With the fourth book, Hal Leonard invites xylophone students into a world of Disney songs, spanning pieces from classic movies like “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” and newer releases like “Moana.”
“We wanted to give mallet musicians opportunities to play some fun and familiar songs, specifically arranged for their instrument by mallet experts,” says Matt Wolf, publication editor.
And the books provide more than just fun songs to play. They’re designed to build specific skills, like vibraphone pedaling, rhythm mastery, and distinctions between styles.
“There’s benefit to learning music that’s familiar to the ear but new to you on your instrument,” Wolf says.
Both physical and digital copies of the books are available at halleonard.com.
