Principal Instruments: Percussion

The Percussion Department principal instruments include:

Drum Set
Vibraphone
Hand Percussion—Brazilian, Afro-Cuban, Middle Eastern/North African, and West African styles and associated instruments
Orchestral Percussion—snare drum, mallet percussion, timpani, hand percussion, multiple percussion, and drum set technique
Marimba
Steelpan

All students at Berklee College of Music enter with a principal instrument.

No matter what major you end up pursuing, you will complete at least four semesters of private instruction, labs, and ensembles with this instrument. This fulfills your performance core requirement.

WATCH

Find Your Rhythm

By studying percussion at Berklee, you're joining the ranks of those who have played with everyone from Herbie Hancock to Dr. Dre to the Boston Pops. You'll develop a proficiency in the theoretical, conceptual, and artistic aspects of percussion, enabling you to carve out your own style while gaining the tools to adapt to changes in the professional music world.

Financial Aid and Scholarships

Learn about financial aid, scholarships, and others ways of paying for your Berklee education.

Alumni Story

Simon Moullier B.M. '16

On the heels of graduating from Berklee, vibraphonist Simon Moullier was accepted to the highly competitive Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance at the University of California, Los Angeles, after auditioning for a panel of legends including Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Herb Alpert.

See More Alumni

Meet Your Mentors

Terri Lyne Carrington Named 2019 Doris Duke Artist

Terri Lyne Carrington is a Grammy Award–winning drummer and serves as artistic director of the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice. As a 2019 Doris Duke Artist, she received a $275,000 award in recognition of her ongoing contributions to the field of jazz.

Meet the Faculty

Student Spotlight

Negah Santos Fuses Dual Passions for Percussion and Social Change

Brazilian hand-percussionist Negah Santos came to the Berklee Global Jazz Institute with dual interests: drumming and social work—passions born of her upbringing in São Paulo, Brazil. Within the BGJI, she strives to further intertwine her playing and social activism.

What Will I Learn?

Upon completion of the performance core, students will:

synthesize and integrate knowledge of contemporary and traditional styles into musical interpretation;
synthesize and integrate knowledge of posture, breathing, and instrumental technique into their daily practice routines;
demonstrate technical proficiency on their principal instrument;
demonstrate the ability to sight-read music in a variety of styles;
play music in a variety of contemporary and traditional styles;
play in ensembles of varying size, instrumentation, and stylistic orientation; and
apply knowledge of musical styles and harmonic practices in improvisation.

Entrance Requirements

Applicants must audition with their chosen instrument when applying to the college. Learn more about auditioning with a percussion instrument.

During orientation, you will audition with the Percussion Department to get your ensemble ratings. These are used for placement into private instruction and ensemble courses. Learn more about placement auditions.

Curriculum and Courses

Private Instruction

All students complete four semesters to fulfill their performance core requirement:

Performance majors have an additional four semesters.
Professional music majors and music education majors have an additional two semesters.

Instrumental Labs

Specialized labs bring together players of similar performance levels and provide training in specific aspects of percussion performance. Labs cover a range of skills such as basic grips, sticking techniques, basic time feels, and snare drum/drum set reading skills, as well as more advanced chart/lead sheet reading, brush techniques, odd meters, polyrhythms, and improvisation studies.

Browse instrumental labs in our course catalog.

Ensembles

Through ensembles, you will hone essential performance skills and techniques. They help you to broaden your stylistic range, to expand your network of musical friends and colleagues, and to gain diverse group-playing experience.

Ensembles are offered in multiple sections for varying levels of ability. You choose the group and style that appeal to you. Your eligibility is determined by ongoing auditions that measure your growth as a performer.

More than 350 faculty-supervised ensembles rehearse weekly at Berklee.