Black Swamp Blog & News

Dive into the essential musical concepts that define successful multiple percussion playing, guided by professional insights from Ryan Lewis. Whether you’re tackling your first solo or refining your ensemble skills, this guide will help you turn chaos into clarity—and gear into artistry.

Castanets may be small, but in the right hands, they can add color, character, and complexity to some of the most exciting moments in orchestral music. In this lesson, Dr. John W. Parks IV from Florida State University breaks down how to make musical decisions that go beyond simple execution—focusing instead on expression, dynamics, and style.

When it comes to concert castanets, there’s a big difference between just getting the job done and owning the moment. At Black Swamp Percussion, we’ve spent nearly three decades perfecting the design and sound of our Pro Handled Castanets—and it shows. These instruments don’t just sound great; they feel right in your hands, respond beautifully across dynamics, and stand the test of time in concert halls around the world.

Black Swamp Sound Plates—Disc Bell and Anvil Gong—are designed to add unique metallic textures to your percussion setup. This guide walks yo

Selecting the right triangle and beater combination can make or break your performance in orchestral settings. In Ravel’s Alborada del Graci

The Black Swamp RecPlate is designed to streamline your setup and enhance your performance with simple mounting and suspension solutions.

Modern percussionists need modern tools. The MultiLegs are the simple solution for adding horizontal bass drum legs into your percussion set

Experimenting with different materials and approaches can make your practice sessions more dynamic, fun, and, most importantly, effective.

GRAMMY award winner, Joseph Gramley, discusses the hurdles and considerations for performance multiple percussion pieces.

No matter what your setup is, the Black Swamp wood block mount enhances accessibility and improves sound quality by keeping the instrument r

In this guide, we'll walk you through the steps to restringing your older Black Swamp Percussion castanets quickly and effectively.

Norman Weinberg explores the art of selecting percussion instruments, emphasizing the importance of cultivating an ear for sound variety.

Black Swamp makes a variety of castanet options for the modern percussionist. Here's what you need to know about the right choice for you.

The redoble castanet roll is an extended technique for handled castanets and is used in a variety of musical settings. Meet Your...

Designed in collaboration with Morris Palter, MultiBass drums revolutionize performance convenience without compromising on sound.

In his new video series, Ryan Lewis (Ouachita Baptist University) discusses several aspects of multiple percussion, including setup &...