Disclaimer: I'm a Majestic artist so I endorse these instruments! That said, this is a great instrument and I love the sound of the padauk bars. Padauk wood is not as resonant nor is it quite as loud as rosewood, but the sound is great and I've used this instrument for concerts and gigs. I prefer padauk over synthetic bars without a doubt. The recording in this video was made on this exact instrument so you can hear exactly how it sounds. I also really like the ease of setup with the Majestic instrument. Thanks for checking out the video.
Id say they’re about the same in quality and sound. I know the Adams wheels will sometimes hit the resonators at the bottom keys sometimes hit the top keys (but I think that’s just an issue with the string, which is easily replaceable). Id say in sound quality they’re about the same, with this one maybe having a slight advantage. Although the adams is a lot lighter and easier to build and has a more durable frame. I myself bought this one because they’re pretty similar in terms of that they’re meant for students and not professionals and this one tends to be a little cheaper which is nice. Plus this comes with 4 mallets I believe and the adams only comes with 2. Both should come with covers as well. If it’s up to me I’d get this one just because it tends to be a little cheaper but both are very reliable and sound amazing
It would be great if they could add some Cuban (tumbadora, bongo, timbal, bata, güiro, cencerro, etc) and Brazilian (beimbau, kuica,a-go-go , etc) Brazilian percussion.
The mallets on this recording are ABC mallets by Bedrich Cernocki. This company no longer exists but innovative artisan series are similar in style. I used a softer mallet for the bass and 3 medium hard mallets for the tenor, alto, soprano mallets. Have fun with the piece, it's a tough one!
This is published sheet music and so it is protected by copyright. You’ll need to contact Tapspace for more information about licensing the music for outside use. Thanks for checking in!
What a great piece! I've played this with one school I work with and am planning for a second this year. What size djembe is that? I've struggled to get the same bass resonance that Ryun achieved here.
I really like how the piece plays with a lot with polyrhythms and repeating notes, kind of like a heartbeat. It really gives it a fascinating sense of movement, and when there is a gap, I feel even more anticipation. I’m so glad I found this; you play wonderfully!
Beautiful piece. Perfect writing for the instrument. Uses it’s timbre, resonance, and decay just perfectly. Shout out to whoever mixed this. The low end almost always causes peaking.
Alex, you are an inspiration. I enjoy your pieces and you have gave me some light to keep playing. I chose this piece as my final piece for my senior recital
Really great performance! I enjoyed this piece - when I buy my marimba I'm def adding this one to my collection. If you could answer this question - I would be extremely grateful! I'm debating which marimba to get for personal use. I see that you've played on Majestic's youtube channel on the 4.3 Padauk... I'm torn between the Majestic Black Series 5.0 Padauk and the Malletech M-Tech 5.0 Padauk... have you played on either? If so which do you prefer? I'm most concerned about the tuning of the lower end of the bars on the Majestic 5 padauk. I've seen some reviews and comments stating that it's lacking depth to the notes and bad intonation. With tunable resonators and different mallet choices that might not be an issue, but I'm still curious. The Majestic black series just looks so much cooler than the MTech as well. But sound quality matters more! Thanks in advance, Alex!
Thanks! I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed my arrangement and performance! I haven't played those 5-octave instruments but there's a great video on RU-vid of Chad Crummel playing the Majestic Black. I think it sounds great! Ideally you should try to play on both instruments before you buy, you'll know right away which instrument you prefer. PASIC would be a great place to do that. I like the sound of Padauk but it's definitely different to rosewood so keep that in mind. All the best!
