In our field, the books devoted to technique fall a long way behind those dealing with the more pleasant and attractive aspect of study alone.
This is a statistical fact based on sales of books dealing with these two aspects; but it is also a conclusion based on observation that students, even when using methods that are rich in exercises with technical difficulties introduced in a gradual manner, tend to look to musical study alone for that proficiency they will never acquire.
In order to understand the error that is being committed by tackling difficulties for which one is not ready, it is necessary to understand the difference between studies and exercises.
The term "study" in a musical sense was coined by the Neapolitan composer and teacher Franceso Durante in the mid eighteenth century, and used by him to refer to some teaching methods for singing.
The expression includes application of technique, analysis, work and research on interpretation.
In general, there is a tendency to make a sharp distinction between exercise and study, the former meaning mere practice or training in order to acquire the technical means to be used and developed later in studies.
Therefore it can be said that a study is a piece of music written for teaching purposes where one can put into practice the technique acquired through exercises.
Usually the classic study is devoted to one single technical aspect at a time, such as arpeggios (for pianists) or pizzicato (for strings); but there are also much more elaborate and complex studies dealing with different technical elements together.
Exercises, on the other hand, often consist of brief repetitive formulas to acquire agility and confidence for technical mastery of one's instrument.
Many people associate the idea of repetetiveness with boredom and a sense of dissatisfaction and so fail to do their exercises.
So it follows that exercises too must have a musical sense, and should not just serve to loosen up articulation, but be pleasant, so as to train the ear musically, be rhythmic, so as to reinforce the sense of balance, and essential, so as to produce maximum results in the minimum time.
All the most famous musicians have written studies: from Chopin to Liszt and Debussy, Stravinsky and Bartok, but also many others, who were just as famous, devoted themselves to developing single aspects of technique, devoting entire interesting treatises to exercises. Among them were Brahms, Czerny and Clementi.
The few studies contained in this book, which is almost entirely devoted to achieving technical and rhythmic mastery of the marimba, deal with the main aspects studied in the various sections.

Article published by the magazine, “Percussioni.”