New Portable Percussion Practice Tools from Yamaha

Snare Spot Pad

Deadbeats

At Winter NAMM 2004, Yamaha makes it easier for drummers to refine their chops--anytime, anywhere.

Two new Snare pads--the 11" PP-360 (MSRP $60.00), and its smaller brother, the 9" PP-260 (MSRP $51.00)--can travel anywhere, yet boast realistic snare feel and sound according to the company, thanks to a set of small copper BBs housed under the pad.

Even more compact are the Dead Beats series of drumsticks, which sport built-in practice pads. They come in two styles: the DB-S (standard) and the DB-M (marching). Both models offer a pad built into the tip for unmatched portability and convenience. MSRP: $24.00.

Advanced marching-band drummers, students, and instructors may be interested in Yamaha's new PPQ-550 (MSRP $180), a practice pad to offer the actual spacing for a large set of Yamaha Field-Corps sextets. This lightweight practice tool features tonal reference pads, which provide the player with aural feedback as he or she builds muscle memory.

For the beginning Tenor player, Yamaha also offers the smaller PPQ-500 (MSRP $90). Although it boasts the same construction of the PPQ-550, the PPQ-500's compact size and light weight make it easy to carry around.