David Harvey Marimba Clinic
Marimba Pedagogy
Over the course of more than forty years as a marimbist, David Harvey has made an exhaustive study of the sound properties of rosewood marimba bars. Based on these principles of acoustics, Mr. Harvey has created a unique marimba pedagogy, the Harvey Method, specifically designed to allow the performer to get maximum tone, clarity, and projection from the instrument. Marimbists using this method are able to make rosewood marimbas speak clearly and sound beautiful. The concept for this type of marimba proficiency is “rosewood fluency.”
Explaining marimba acoustics
Rosewood Fluency
The first step for percussionists improving their rosewood fluency is to learn the basic facts of marimba acoustics. Unfortunately, there is no available textbook codifying these theories. In a Harvey Marimba Clinic, scientific principles of sonics, as well as marimba techniques based on those principles, are clearly presented, explained, and demonstrated at the marimba. These topics include:
Overtone spectrum of timbre
Overtone series of marimba bars
Sound resonance versus sound volume
Sympathetic resonance of resonators
Bar and resonator sound proportions
Timbral spectrums of different marimba registers
Tonal and response qualities of bars in different registers
Tonal and response qualities from bars of different manufacture
Stroke types based on weight, duration of contact, and velocity
Lateral and vertical stroke mechanics
Specific stroke mechanics for each register of the marimba
Grip biology and kinesiology for various stroke types
Wrist, arm, and shoulder biology and kinesiology for various stroke types
Understanding roll components: attack, sustain, and release
Marimba Exercises
Students are given practical marimba exercises to develop their stroking ability to improve their marimba tone, projection, and clarity. With a fresh understanding of the acoustical and technical factors of the marimba and marimba technique, students will absolutely improve their marimba fluency, and they will sound better. This marimba method works comprehensively for 2-mallet, 4-mallet, and 6-mallet grips, and for all musical styles, grip variations, and marimba repertoire. No marimba student is expected to change their grip preference or musical approach to the instrument in order to learn, apply, and benefit from the Harvey method. Every marimba student needs this information, without exception.
