National School of Vibracussion Home Study Course in Vibracussion
Historical Background: The course was published by the National School of Vibracussion in Chicago in 1917, making it over 100 years old. This was during an era when the term of "vibracussion" was used for xylophone and similar mallet percussion instruments.
Course Content: The course consists of twelve lessons along with an Introduction, a "Special Lesson on Four Mallet Playing," and a section on "Harmony Ragtime". The ragtime section is particularly notable as it likely predates any other similar instructional sources.
Historical Significance: This is described as "an amazing document of xylophone history" that provides valuable insights into early percussion pedagogy and technique.
This course represents an important piece of percussion education history, particularly for understanding how xylophone and mallet techniques were taught in the early 1900s during the ragtime era.
This is truly an amazing document of xylophone history and one that is sure to provide a great deal of information and pedagogy from the early part of the 20th Century. In total, the 149 pages of this resource is something you likely haven’t seen before!
