Harald Weiss was originally a professional percussionist who had studied at music colleges in Hanover and Hamburg. From1970-74, he played in a variety of ensembles including the NDR Studio Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Staatsoper Hamburg and in the Ensemble Musica Negativa and from 1973 held a professorship in arrangement/ensemble and percussion at the Musikhochschule in Hanover for eleven years. It was during this period that the three volumes of Schlagzeugwerkstatt were created: teaching material compiled by Weiss consisting of exercises and studies for percussion ensemble. These pieces provide professional percussionists, instrumental teachers and amateurs with a wide collection of concepts and exercises for the extension of performance techniques and improvement of ensemble playing.