Elizabeth's Super Amazing Percussion Page!
eayoungb@mtholyoke.edu

 

This is your personal tutorial into vocal percussion!

The majority of percussion noises that are used in a capella groups can be made without the use of the vocal cords. Using the Key on the left, go through the percussion noises below, spending anywhere from 10 seconds to 10 minutes on each one! Then go on to the percussion exercises. The ones provided are only a handfull of the limitless array of percussion patterns. Once you have mastered this tutorial, feel free to try "PERC'ing" to your favorite songs, and find out how cool it is to become a true perc diva.
 
Key
!
Short
...
Long
Capital
Loud
Undercase
Quiet
-
Beat Rest
 
Notable Percussion Sounds*
Double
  
Sh! and Sh...
 
Ch! and Ch...
 
Ts! and Ts...
 
Psh! and Psh...
 
Singles
  
T!
 
K!
 
S! and S...
 
Singles and Doubles Combined
  
Sh-K!
  
S-K!
  
T-K!
  
Ts-K!
  
Vocal Sounds**
  
Dika!
 
Dikada!
  

 

Kit enjoys percussion in her jammers

 

 

Pink Panther

ts... ts! ts! ts... ts! ts! ts... ts! ts! ts...

One Armed Drummer

Duv! - K! - Duv! - K! - Duv!

Modified One Armed Drummer

Duv! Duv! K! Dika Duv! Duv! K!

Krista's Train Wreck Perc***

PSH...PSH...PSH...PSH...PSH...

Others

Duv! Duv! K! Dika Duv! Ts-K! Dika-Duv! Duv! K!

Ch! Ch! K! Ch! - Ch! K! Ch! Ch! Ch! K! - Ch! Ch! K!

ch-k-ch-k-ch-k-ch-k

Dvv! Dvv! K! dikada dvv! dvv! K! -

T-K! T! T! K! T! - T-K!

Duv! Duv! Duv! K! K! K! Duv! Duv! Duv! K! K! K!

Dika-Duv! Duv! K! Duv! - Sh-K! Dikada-Duv! Duv! K! Duv!


On your way out, make sure to check out these Websites!


The V-8s of Mount Holyoke College

The Nice Shoes of Mount Holyoke College

The M & C's of Mount Holyoke College

Amalgamates of Tufts University

ARRR!!! of Brown University

Route 9 of Amherst College

Caitlin Parsons website, 2002 alum

A musical by V8s alum Toni Halleen

Alum 60th reunion Page

Dancing Badgers?

 

 

* All of these noises can be done both loudly or softly, but for now, practice them loudly! The key is to try and mimic actual percussion instruments, so a T! is much like a quick tap of a drumstick, and a Psh... is like slamming symbols together.

** Vocal Sounds are meant to have no tone. Like a pounding beatbox, you let the noise be a beat, not a note.

*** Krista Mazur ('03) utilized it when an a capella song went so awry that only this perc acompanied by the actual movement of slamming symbols together could end the song.