Percussion Instruments
Bachelor of Music
Musicians develop different areas of focus over the course of their careers. Some thrive in the role of a soloist or play full-time in an orchestra or choir, while others devote themselves to teaching and find fulfillment in this field. Many combine artistic and educational activities in their everyday professional lives.
Our Bachelor of Music degree program offers you the unique opportunity to explore your options during the first few semesters before making a decision: choose the artistic profile with a focus on orchestra, opera singing, and freelance work, or the artistic-pedagogical profile for teaching professions. You also have the option of combining the profiles and preparing for both career paths.
You will choose your personal profile after the second semester.
In the Bachelor of Music program in Elementary Music Education, you have the option of choosing classical percussion instruments or jazz and pop percussion as your main instrumental subject.
Requirements in the entrance exam
a) Performance of studies or works from the repertoire on at least one instrument from each of the following groups:
- snare drum
- vibraphone, xylophone, marimba
- timpani, drum set
b) Snare drum and timpani: long roll over eight 4/4 bars at 80 BPM with a crescendo from pp to ff and a decrescendo back to pp.
c) Short test in recognizing rhythmic illusions and polyrhythms.
d) Sight-reading on snare drum and mallet instruments.
Bachelor of Music (Teacher Education)
The studies can be pursued with classical percussion instruments or jazz and pop percussion as main instrument.
The bachelor’s program “Bachelor of Music (Teacher Education)” qualifies students for a master’s program. It includes an scientific subject that is usually studied at Freiburg University. The bachelor’s program is followed by a four-semester master’s program “Master of Education (Secondary School Teacher Education)”, which qualifies students for the practical training phase as teacher at secondary schools in the artistic subject of music and an scientific subject (Referendariat).
The Statutes on Enrollment, including the requirements for the entrance exam, and further information about the bachelor’s program are available in German.
Percussion instruments
Performance of at least four musical pieces, improvisations or etudes from different styles for various instruments (e.g. percussion, drum set, mallets, electronics, snare drum, traditional percussion).
Jazz and Pop Percussion
Performance of stylistically diverse works (e.g., from jazz, pop, Latin, funk, or rock), optionally with a backing band/rhythm section. Unprepared improvisation on a given simple standard jazz/pop piece; sight-reading (e.g., a big band part).
(Excerpt from the Statutes on Enrollment; see there also the General examination requirements und the Requirements of the further examination parts [ear training, music theory, voice as a secondary subject, piano as a second instrument]).
Requirements in the entrance exam
Four solo pieces for different instruments (mallet instruments, timpani or other orchestral instruments) and/or combinations of instruments (multi-percussion, possibly including electronic media). Performance pieces/music theatre as well as own compositions or improvisations are possible.
Examples:
- Mallet instruments: original works by Donatoni, Hurel, Mantovani, Druckman, Psathas etc. or transcriptions of works for a different original instrumentation.
- Multi-percussion and performance pieces: Works by Xenakis, Lachenmann, Stockhausen, Globokar, Nørgaard, Saariaho, Aperghis, Sarhan or Appelbaum.
- Snare drum: solo pieces of a higher level of difficulty.