Cart is empty
Mah-Ná Mah-Ná, written by Italian composer Piero Umiliani, is a nonsense song that achieved widespread fame as a classic Muppet sketch. Flexibly arranged for as few as 8 players or as many as 14 players, this arrangement by Christopher M. Retschulte preserves the catchy melodic material and enhances the upbeat style with vocalizations, birdcalls, hand claps, and vibraslap. It even includes a solo part that gives you the option of allowing a band director or guest artist the chance to perform with the group. An entertaining addition to any percussion ensemble concert!
This piece comes as a professionally printed and bound score and a set of printed parts.
Note: Due to licensing limitations, this piece is only available in the U.S. and Canada. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Some pieces are just too much fun not to program! Originally composed by Piero Umiliani and made famous in a classic Muppet sketch, Christopher Retschulte has brought this nonsense song into the percussion ensemble genre with his very effective and well-conceived scoring.
The familiar motivic dialog between two voices is orchestrated between the low marimba and the xylophone and vibraphone in unison. The contrasting interludes are most often voiced in the glockenspiel and vibraphone, setting somewhat of a wood vs. metal juxtaposition. Throughout the piece, the nonpitched percussion, including drumset and a variety of sound effect instruments, are especially creative and add an incredibly entertaining element and solid groove to the arrangement. If a drumset is unavailable or more players are to be incorporated in the performance, an auxiliary percussion part for two players on snare drum, bass drum, and crash cymbals is provided.
“Mah-Ná Mah-Ná” is set entirely in a fast common time and in C major but with several chromatic notes and lines. All the keyboard parts are playable with two mallets, and nothing poses a particular technical challenge other than the fast tempo. The final “chorus” opens up for an optional improvised solo (for keyboard percussion or other pitched instrument such as trumpet, guitar, etc.) with chord changes provided.
At three minutes in length, this is an excellent piece for intermediate high school percussion ensemble or a college pops concert. The notes from the arranger remind performers that “this is a fun piece, ” so everyone should be enjoying themselves, players and audience alike!
—Josh Gottry
Percussive Notes
Vol. 52, No. 2. March 2014
Mah-Ná Mah-Ná, written by Italian composer Piero Umiliani, is a nonsense song that achieved widespread fame as a classic Muppet sketch. Flexibly arranged for as few as 8 players or as many as 14 players, this arrangement by Christopher M. Retschulte preserves the catchy melodic material and enhances the upbeat style with vocalizations, birdcalls, hand claps, and vibraslap. It even includes a solo part that gives you the option of allowing a band director or guest artist the chance to perform with the group. An entertaining addition to any percussion ensemble concert!
This piece comes as a professionally printed and bound score and a set of printed parts.
Note: Due to licensing limitations, this piece is only available in the U.S. and Canada. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Some pieces are just too much fun not to program! Originally composed by Piero Umiliani and made famous in a classic Muppet sketch, Christopher Retschulte has brought this nonsense song into the percussion ensemble genre with his very effective and well-conceived scoring.
The familiar motivic dialog between two voices is orchestrated between the low marimba and the xylophone and vibraphone in unison. The contrasting interludes are most often voiced in the glockenspiel and vibraphone, setting somewhat of a wood vs. metal juxtaposition. Throughout the piece, the nonpitched percussion, including drumset and a variety of sound effect instruments, are especially creative and add an incredibly entertaining element and solid groove to the arrangement. If a drumset is unavailable or more players are to be incorporated in the performance, an auxiliary percussion part for two players on snare drum, bass drum, and crash cymbals is provided.
“Mah-Ná Mah-Ná” is set entirely in a fast common time and in C major but with several chromatic notes and lines. All the keyboard parts are playable with two mallets, and nothing poses a particular technical challenge other than the fast tempo. The final “chorus” opens up for an optional improvised solo (for keyboard percussion or other pitched instrument such as trumpet, guitar, etc.) with chord changes provided.
At three minutes in length, this is an excellent piece for intermediate high school percussion ensemble or a college pops concert. The notes from the arranger remind performers that “this is a fun piece, ” so everyone should be enjoying themselves, players and audience alike!
—Josh Gottry
Percussive Notes
Vol. 52, No. 2. March 2014
