Ode to Springtime

“Ode to Springtime” fills a great need in percussion repertoire for beginning ensembles. This duet for vibraphone and marimba has a lovely, simple melody and fits right in the sweet spot for students who can read music but still find melodic lines to be a challenge.

The first movement uses continuous eighth notes in the marimba part with some longer held notes in the vibraphone. The marimba part is for two mallets but still uses a grand staff, so this would be a great opportunity for a young player to get more experience reading in bass clef and the grand staff with a part that isn’t too involved. The vibraphone part fits nicely on top of the marimba line, though it would benefit from the inclusion of pedal markings, as students at this playing level will probably not know when to pedal without being told.

The second movement is in 6/8, is faster, and has more complexity with syncopation and double stops. The parts swap material, so this would be a good opportunity for students to do some light score study and really learn how their parts fit together. There is plenty of room for musicality, with several ritardandos and a lot of dynamics and articulations. The players have the opportunity to practice listening to each other and create changing time without a conductor.

“Ode to Springtime” is a nice late beginner/early intermediate keyboard duet that would be a great project for a couple of young players who are ready to branch out from the back of the band and flex their mallet skills.

—Marilyn K. Clark Silva
Percussive Notes
Vol. 60, No. 2, April 2022