Welcome back to the Chops blog series on mallet FAQs (frequently asked questions). Late last year we addressed the mallet needs of the beginning and intermediate band and orchestra student. Today we’re going to discuss the needs of the advanced student. As an intermediate student reaches their senior year of high school, they should own mallets for marimba, vibraphone, timpani, and various accessory instruments. As they continue to progress, and eventually approach an advanced level, it is critical they have a wide variety of mallets available for those instruments. As we’ve discussed many times before, mallet preference is dependent on the individual percussionist. As an intermediate student gains experience they will develop their own preference for brands and models. The following recommendations, therefore, are general. For the glockenspiel (bells) and xylophone, the advanced student should at least have a hard and soft mallet choice. Plastic is the most common material for these mallets but other choices such as hard rubber or wood or hard rubber exist. For the glockenspiel, a metal mallet, either brass or aluminum is occasionally needed for the most bright and piercing situations. For the marimba, vibraphone, and timpani the advanced student should own a set of

Welcome back to the Chops blog series on mallet FAQs (frequently asked questions). Last month we addressed the mallet needs of the beginning band and orchestra student. Today we’re going to discuss the needs of the intermediate student. After several years in band or orchestra your student will need to expand their mallet collection as the music they perform requires an expanded selection of instruments. While your student will be able to continue using the mallets they already have, many of these new instruments, such as marimba, vibraphone, timpani, and accessory instruments, will require unique mallets. For both marimba and vibraphone, the intermediate student can normally get by with one pair of mallets for each instrument. We recommend a “medium” mallet that will work well in most situations. Both styles of mallets can also be used on suspended cymbals. Our favorite “medium” marimba mallets include: Innovative Percussion – IP240, Soloist series Mike Balter – 13B or 13R (B indicates birch shaft, R indicates rattan shaft) Pro-Mark –DFP730, Dan Fyffe marimba series Vic Firth – M171, Multi-Application series Those mallets are pictured here. Our favorite “medium” vibraphone mallets include: Innovative Percussion – RS251, Rattan series Mike Balter – 23R or 23B

Welcome back to the Chops blog series on mallet FAQs (frequently asked questions). Today we’re going to answer one of the most common questions we receive: what mallets does my beginning band student need? When your student enrolls in band as a percussionist, their director will have a requirement for the sticks and mallets they will need. These requirements normally include synthetic mallets for bells and xylophone, drum sticks and a stick bag. They may also include yarn mallets for marimba and vibraphone. Mallets for bells (also known as glockenspiel) have a birch or rattan shaft and a synthetic head, usually made of plastic or rubber. For beginners, birch shaft mallets would be recommended. Many brands and models are available, but we recommend the following choices. These are also the standard mallets available in beginner stick/mallet prepacks. Plastic and Rubber Models for Bells and Xylophone: • Vic Firth M14 (plastic), M5 (rubber) • Innovative Percussion F12 (plastic), F8 (rubber) • Mike Balter BB11 (plastic), BB8 (rubber) • Pro-Mark DFP640 (plastic), DFP230 (rubber) Mallets for marimba and vibraphone have a birch or rattan shaft and a yarn or cord head. In addition to the marimba and vibraphone, these mallets can be

Mallet FAQs: Marimba mallets Welcome back to the Chops blog! Today we’re going to begin a series of posts on mallets. With the large variety of brands, applications, and styles available, purchasing mallets can be very confusing for non-percussionists and non-musicians. We frequently answer questions about mallets such as: “Why does my student need these mallets when they already have several pairs?” “What is the difference between these mallets?” “What does my student’s teacher recommend this mallet and brand over others?” “Can I use this mallet for this instrument?”   In this series we’ll attempt to answer some of the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) we receive about mallets. We’re going to begin with marimba mallets. The most common marimba mallets consist of yarn wrapped around a rubber core, which is attached to a wood or rattan handle. Other styles, including rubber, are available, but yarn is the most common. Yarn mallets are commonly described in terms of their “hardness” or articulation. “Soft” mallets have a large yarn head and produce a round, gentle tone in the mid to low range of the instrument. “Hard” mallets include a smaller head with less yarn and are better suited to the upper