PLEASE NOTE: This purchase is for a downloadable PDF copy of the piece. You will NOT receive a hard copy shipped to your address. Hard copy from Edition Svitzer available soon!
Consider purchasing the full SIMPLE SOLOS VOL. 2 [ FEELINGS ] collection as a set of four works and get 20% off!
Watch the video of me playing Grateful first:
Grateful is the fourth and final work of SIMPLE SOLOS VOL. 2 [ FEELINGS ], a collection of four simple two-mallet miniatures which represent common feelings of longing, happiness and reflection within yourself. I wrote the SIMPLE SOLOS series to not only give developing students a chance to play interesting pieces that help build their technique and musicality, but also to challenge myself to make complex music while deliberately placing limits on what techniques I am allowed to use.
[ FEELINGS ] solos all use only two mallets and a 3 octave range, but although they are beginner-friendly in nature, they can be made to suit any level of performer through interpretation and phrasing. As they all share a similar underlying style, the four works from SIMPLE SOLOS VOL. 2 [ FEELINGS ] can be performed as standalone pieces, or all four works together in order (Wistful, Cheerful, Peaceful, Grateful) as one continuous multi-movement work.
Grateful is a representation of the feeling of gratitude and warmth as you appreciate what you have, such as reflecting on your life or feeling content with something that you have done. Its fast and floating nature represents the journey away from things that have already happened and a mix of contemplation and anticipation, with some excitement in the melody. It is also represented by its position as the last work in the [ FEELINGS ] collection, having experienced the other feelings of Wistful, Cheerful and Peaceful before it.
Grateful is a solo that can be used for both developing students' technical coordination as well as a short melodic interlude in a typical recital program consisting of more advanced pieces. The key technique used in Grateful is fast arpeggiated broken chords, which is a difficult technique not only to play as-is, but to also add voicing at a fast tempo. I find Grateful to be the most difficult work to play in the [ FEELINGS ] collection at its fast tempo, but you may also choose to play it in a slower, more laidback manner.
Grateful will allow you as the performer to not only improve your skills in all kinds of mallet repertoire, but also understand how to control voicing whilst playing elegantly at a rapid tempo.
Grateful requires a 3.0 octave or higher marimba and must be played with two mallets only. You will receive one (1) PDF file with the full score.
Grateful, for solo marimba (3.0 octave - two mallets)
Two-mallet marimba solo (3.0 octave)