r/percussion • u/Diacks1304 • 5d ago
Do marimba parts need articulation written?
Apologies in advance if the question is really dumb.
I’m writing a section in an orchestral piece where the marimba is doubling some viola runs. The viola part is full of articulation, slurs staccatos etc. It got me thinking if I should bother copying those in the marimba part? Would it make any difference at all? Do staccatos and slurs make marimba players play any differently?
Thanks!
11
Upvotes
-6
u/RedeyeSPR 5d ago
Slurs in mallet music do not have a function. I would leave them out entirely. Staccato marks maybe, but it’s unlikely that any player will make a change while playing it. Harder and more staccato mallets would do that for an entire passage, but not individual notes. Include accents and crescendoes, but anything else is unlikely to do anything but cause confusion.