Excellent percussion players make rhythm-making seem as easy as snapping fingers. The reality, however, is more difficult than you might imagine, if your goal is to master the skills of percussion playing.

Lucy Landymore is here to demonstrate the art and science of playing percussion instruments, and challenge you to rethink a couple of “simple” instruments.

Award-winning percussionist Lucy Landymore was first attracted to drumming performances at the age of two, and has been playing percussion instruments since she was eight. Even after years of extensive training, she acknowledges percussion playing as an intricate, and sometimes physically exhausting, art.

Lucy has always loved the range of movements that playing drums involves. At age 17, she won the percussion category of the 2010 BBC Young Musician of the Year competition and went on to perform with world-renowned musicians including Igudesman and Joo, Andrea Bocelli, and Hans Zimmer.

Fascinated by the vast number of percussion instruments from around the world, I ask Lucy to share a few tips on playing instruments such as the triangle and the bass drum. They look straight forward in design and function, and surely a non-percussionist can easily play them to perfection?

The answer, of course, is a big accented no.

Even the triangle, which looks deceivingly plain, is tricky to master. Playing the triangle at the top versus the bottom of the instrument will emit completely different frequencies, Lucy explains. And if you have a very trained ear, you can hear which place on the triangle you need to play in order to match the feeling of the music.

This is only one example of one percussion instrument. The intricacies involved in playing the triangle alone could take years to excel. To become a skilled percussionist is no easy feat.

In a unique performance titled “My Nice Life Home Recital” Lucy takes the viewer on a trip to her percussion playground at home – an elaborate yet intimate performance setting – using instruments and rhythms from around the world. Filmed on six cameras and streamed on-demand on Music Traveler, Lucy was able to share some of her original compositions while live music was on pause.

Catch Lucy’s special musical treat on Music Traveler. And if you still think playing the triangle is a joke, check out some Brazilian triangle playing first. You can thank Lucy later.

Interview conducted and written by Louise Lau. Connect with her on social media @offstagetunes

The interview was from episode #6 of the Offstage Tunes Live – The Brunch Series.

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