Mallet Explained

To Find Your Mallets and Create Your Sound!

By Vinson Han

One’s selection of mallets plays a crucial role in the sound a player produces on any mallet instrument. This month’s lesson addresses the options available when selecting mallets, both for specific playing situations, and for one’s personal preferences in general. The information presented here is important to all percussionists, but less-experienced players, and music educators, will benefit greatly from this lesson.(Please note that preferences for particular makes and models of mallets are highly subjective. This lesson is not designed to name the "best" mallet for any given circumstance, simply to illuminate the options available to players.)

Mallet shafts

The choice of materials for the shafts is significant, as this is where the player is “in contact” with his instrument. Mallet shafts are created from a variety of materials, the most common being rattan and birch. (Other materials include plastic, bamboo, and in rare instances, wire.)

Rattan

offers more flexibility than birch, and many players find that this flexibility is preferable for two-mallet work. These players prefer the “snap” which rattan can add to one’s playing motion. Those four-mallet

players who use a crossed-stick technique (i.e. Burton grip, traditional grip, Stout grip) tend to prefer this material as well, although there are a significant number of crossed-grip players who are quite comfortable using birch handles.

Birch

handles are much more rigid than rattan handles, and many players feel that this adds to their accuracy when playing. Birch handles grew in popularity during the early 1970s, when the war in Southeast Asia limited supplies of rattan. Most Stevens-grip players prefer birch, finding that the rigidity of the material counteracts the built-in flexibility of that technique, although here as well, there are many players who prefer the combination of Stevens grip and rattan. Birch handles are also less likely to warp, compared to rattan.

Mallet Heads

Given the fact that it is the head of the mallet that (except for certain extended techniques) will be coming into contact with the bars of an instrument, the design and materials of a mallet head will have a significant effect on the sound that is produced. There are myriad types of mallets available on the market, so rather than specifying certain mallets for certain situations, here are some issues to consider when selecting a mallet:

1.Weight vs. HardnessThe common misconception is that a harder mallet is always louder than a softer mallet. However, the difference in volume is often a result of the differing timbres between soft and hard mallets. A harder mallet will produce a sound which projects more clearly, by “cutting through” the sound of other instruments. A softer mallet (generally speaking) will emphasize the fundamental tone of a bar, and in fact may produce more volume than a harder mallet, even though a harder mallet will be heard more prominently in an ensemble. A heavier mallet will produce more volume than a lighter mallet, as more energy will be transferred from the mallet to the bar(s) as the instrument is played.

2.Contact soundQuite literally, this is the sound of the mallet striking the bar (as opposed to the actual sound of the bar itself). The more pronounced the contact sound, the more articulate each note will be. Players seeking a very legato effect (i.e., a rolled chorale-type piece on marimba) will seek a mallet with minimal contact sound; those seeking more staccato articulation (say, if performing as a soloist with an ensemble) will be better served by a mallet with a more prominent contact sound. Generally speaking, softer mallets will have less of a contact sound than harder mallets.3.CoresThe core is the center of the mallet head. Some cores are made from rubber, some from plastic, and some from wood. Some mallets incorporate rubber tubing or some other sort of padding around the core, to mitigate the hardness of the original material. Harder mallet cores will - as one might guess - help to create a harder mallet.4.WrappingMallets may be wrapped with yarn (common for softer marimba mallets), cord (common for harder marimba mallets, and vibraphone mallets), or may be unwrapped altogether (common for bell and xylophone mallets, and some marimba mallets). Cord mallets tend to produce more of a contact sound than yarn mallets do, and the tighter a mallet is wrapped, the harder it will be.

Suggested Mallets for Different Mallet Instruments

(Note: these are general suggestions, and not meant to be “the final word” in mallet selection.)

1. MarimbaA variety of wrapped yarn and cord mallets for solo literature; hard yarn, cord, or unwrapped rubber-core mallets for ensemble work.

2.Vibraphone Cord mallets tend to be better suited than yarn mallets, for use on the vibraphone. Jazz players especially, should have a variety of hard and moderately-soft cord-wrapped mallets, using the prominent contact sound to help the player be heard in an ensemble setting.

3. Xylophone A variety of unwrapped mallets, primarily rubber or acrylic cores, or occasionally with cores made of wood. (If wood cores are used, make sure that they are designed specifically for use on rosewood bars.) Avoid using mallets that are too hard, such as hard acrylic bell mallets, when performing on a rosewood xylophone; synthetic bars are much more forgiving of hard mallets.

4. Orchestra Bells (Glockenspiel)Hard plastic or acrylic mallets are suggested. Brass mallets should be avoided if at all possible, as the metal alloys used in orchestra bell bars are softer than the brass mallet heads, and denting will result.As players become more familiar with different mallets, they will become better skilled at selecting mallets. It should be remembered that as a player develops as a musician, his preferences and needs in terms of mallet design may change, to reflect his evolving skills. University students have a great opportunity to examine different brands and designs of mallets, due to the variety of mallets likely to be owned by the members of the percussion studio

and their teacher(s). The sound of the mallets, along with the player’s comfort in using those mallets, should be the deciding factor in their choices; not brand names, advertising, or the fact that certain famous players may use that particular mallet.Mallet choice is a highly subjective issue, and the mallets which may be the “perfect” choice for one player, may be quite inappropriate for another. Mallets must be chosen to suit not only the player, but also the particular instrument, the musical context, the ensemble, the acoustics of the hall (or recording studio, as the case may be), the preferences of the conductor or musical director, etc. It is rare that a player will have one set of mallets which is ideal for all situations. Instead, players should understand the factors which cause one type of mallet to be better suited than another mallet for a given circumstance, so that they may continue to find the appropriate mallet for their needs.

Choosing Marimba/Vibes or Glockenspiel Mallets

“What mallets should I use?” This is probably the most commonly asked question in regard to playing the marimba. There have been long threads about it in the conference area of the WPN

[now www.pas.org], usually in reference to a specific composition. For example, many people have asked different artists which mallets they used in a specific recording or performance. Students search for the right mallets because their teacher has said something like, “Don’t you have some different mallets? Those don’t sound quite right,” or because they aren’t satisfied with the sound they are getting.Frequently, this search becomes circular, never getting closer to the answer. Responses to the question of “What mallets should I use?” often include: “What kind of marimba are you using?” “What kind of hall is your performance in?” or perhaps even “What grip do you use?” Most professionals’ reply is usually something like, “The mallets I used in a specific recording or performance situation cannot possibly be the best mallets for you to use. You must discover the best mallets for your performance on your own.”

All these answers bring up important issues for every marimbist to consider in choosing mallets. However, performance venues and issues such as blending with other instruments or standing out in a concerto setting are considerations that are beyond the scope of this article. Here, I will concentrate on ways to think about marimba mallets that will help you to make decisions about your own basic sound and the appropriate mallets for your own style of playing. It is very important for each of us to experiment, listen, and take under consideration the many elements that influence and make up our marimba sound. One way to approach this is by considering how we produce sounds on other percussion instruments. The weight, hardness, and material of the various beaters used for different percussion instruments can provide important insights into marimba sound and mallet choices.

1. From Snare Drum to Marimba/ Vibraphone Almost all marimbists have come to the instrument from a percussion background; many have studied snare drum first. With snare technique, we learn basic finger, hand, wrist, and arm movements. Both the sticks and our technique are designed to take advantage of, and work with, the rebound of the snare drum head to create rhythms, double stroke rolls, concert rolls and rudiments, and most of our vocabulary of rhythmic figures. The snare drum offers a fairly limited range of timbres. Slight variations occur by changing the playing area and by playing into or off the drumhead. A focal point of our technique is bouncing the stick in a variety of ways. Because of this, the

weight of the stick, the shape of the bead, and the length of the stick are very important. We choose snare drum sticks based primarily on how they feel in our hands and on how well the stick bounces and responds to our technique. Some bead shapes make double strokes for rudimental playing easier. Other bead shapes make a better buzz for concert rolls. We don’t select sticks based primarily on how they sound but, rather, on how well we can manipulate them. At first, applying the same criteria to the selection of marimba mallets seems to make sense. Many players test a mallet’s “feel” first—checking how much flexibility is in the handle, how straight the handle is, the handle thickness, the weight, and perhaps the finish on the wood or rattan. If it feels good, then they may try it on a marimba to see how it sounds. A mallet might feel great and be easy to use in executing your technique, but it might not produce a good sound or the “right” sound! Some mallets feel great and let you play really smooth one-handed rolls because they bounce so well, or they let you fly up and down the keyboard because they are light. Often, however, the attributes of the mallets that make them feel great are the same attributes that prevent them from producing a good sound. Using the “snare drum standards” for selecting marimba mallets may give you mallets that you can manipulate easily and that feel good but that don’t sound good

What happens if you reverse the order in which you evaluate the mallets? Suppose you focus first on your marimba sound and last on how the mallet feels and works with your technique

2. Mallet Weight Instrument Vibration The primary elements of a marimba mallet are the weight of the core, the shape of the core, the material of the core, and the thickness and tightness of the yarn wrap. Let’s consider how these elements come into play with percussion instruments other than the marimba. Studying the way in which gong vibration and sound are affected by different gong mallets and playing techniques can provide insight into the relationship between mallet weight and instrument vibration. If you strike a 34-inch gong with a yarn marimba mallet, no matter how hard you hit the gong, you will not get the entire gong to vibrate. Your mallets are too small and, in particular, too light. You will produce a thin sound with little fundamental pitch—i.e., more high harmonics than low ones. If you use a bass drum beater on the same gong, you will probably get a little sounder from the gong than you did with the marimba mallet, but you still won’t get the gong’s full sound because you will not be making the entire gong vibrate. The bass drum beater is about the right size, but it is still too light. In addition, because the core of the beater is not appropriate for the gong, the core sound will probably color the gong sound. With a correctly-weighted gong mallet (matched up in size and material to the gong), you can easily get the entire gong vibrating at a variety of dynamic levels. This is also true on the marimba. If you match the weight of the core to the bar size, you can get the entire bar to vibrate, giving you the maximum amount of sound the marimba can produce. This will enable you to explore a range of dynamics and expressive possibilities.

3. Wrist Stroke vs. Arm Stroke If you play a gong using the correct mallet, with a wrist stroke starting 10 to 12 inches from the gong, you will get a sound that is very different than the sound produced by using an arm stroke (or swing) from 24 to 36 inches away, letting the combined weight of the mallet and your arm fall naturally into the gong. By swinging your arm and the

mallet into the gong, you set up the maximum amount of vibration in the gong and get its full sound spectrum. For softer playing you can reduce your arm-swing distance. Similarly, with the marimba you can apply more weight to the bar by using an arm stroke, which will produce a bigger, warmer sound than that produced with a wrist stroke.

4. Core Shape

A mallet with a round, spherical core impacts a percussion instrument in a very small, focused area. This can produce a bright sound. Many percussionists prefer broader contact areas in order to produce a warm, rich sound. Again, this sets more of the instrument (bar) into vibration. A typical selection of bass drum mallets will include some with oblong heads for specific musical situations. Most timpani mallets are not made with a spherical core; rather, they are made with a core that has a broader impact area for a warmer sound. Most marimba mallets have spherical cores. Exceptions I have found include mushroom-shaped vibe mallets (the broader contact area is why they are preferred over spherical mallets), some of the Encore mallets, and the Yamaha Virtuoso Mallets. Here are illustrations of the various basic shapes:

Spherical core mallet

Mushroom core mallet

Virtuoso core mallet

As a result of developing my own marimba sound and doing extensive experimentation with mallets, I have come to the realization that the core material is as important as the mallet’s shape in creating a particular marimba sound. Just as polyball, plastic, Plexiglas, wood, and brass mallets all will

produce different timbres on a glockenspiel, different core materials will color the timber of the marimba. Materials that are commonly used for marimba mallet cores are polyball (or plastic), wood, hard rubber, very hard rubber, and latex rubber. There are a variety of each of these materials. Generally, a polyball core will give a cold sound; wood core produces a cool sound (but warmer than plastic); rubber core gives a warm sound; and soft-to-medium hard latex produces a very warm sound.

5. Mallet Warp The wrapping around the core softens the contact sound. You can affect the core sound by adding a band of moleskin or rubber tape around it. To a small degree, you can change the timbre of the mallet by using more or less yarn. You can also make the contact sound clearer by using a hard yarn such as cotton cord instead of wool or acrylic yarn. In addition to changing the contact sound, more yarn adds weight to the mallet, which can give you a bigger sound. My experience with all the methods of covering the core, including yarn wrap, is that if you play a wide range of dynamics, at some point you will strike the bar hard enough that the core sound will be the predominant part of the sound. For example, if you use a polyball mallet with yarn wrap (perhaps labeled as a medium yarn), it may have a warm sound when you play softly, but when you play loudly, the core of the polyball cuts through and the sound becomes very harsh and cold. The wrap has spread and you hear the core sound. This is especially true if the wrapping is loose, which makes it very easy for the core to punch through. In fact, the way to make “two-tone” mallets is to put a loose wrap on a hard core.

6. Creating Your Own Marimba Sound As an example, I will describe some of the elements that make up the overall sound of two marimba soloists: Nancy Zelts man and myself. I have chosen these two examples not because I think they represent something you should try to copy, but because I think that, by studying these two very different approaches to sound and articulation, you can gain valuable insight to use in your own marimba playing. To hear these sounds I recommend the following recordings: “Chaconne in d minor” by J.S. Bach from my CD A cross Time and “Three Moves for Marimba” by Paul Lansky from Nancy’s CD See Ya Thursday. Nancy Zeltsman has created a personal marimba sound that emphasizes the warm, rich, dark sound of the instrument. She has sought out mallets that have very little contact sound with the bar. She generally uses graduated mallets made for her and marketed by Dan Lidster of Encore Mallets. The mallet core sizes and hardnesses are generally matched to the size of the bars across her five-octave instrument: larger, softer mallets in the bass (where the bars are bigger); smaller, harder mallets in the high register (where the bars are thicker and smaller). Her mallet choices and musical expression combine to create a beautiful and wonderfully expressive marimba soundscape.I also use a voiced (i.e., graduated) set of mallets for the marimba. While the Yamaha Virtuoso mallets I use all have cores of the same hardness, the diameter (and therefore the contact area and weight) changes. The largest diameter cores in my mallets are used for the low end of the marimba, the middle diameter for the middle range, and the smallest diameter for the high range. The size of the smallest core is similar to most spherical core mallets made in the U.S. For myself, I seek a pure, clear marimba sound where I can use articulation— the contact or attack sound— for the basis of most of my musical expression. By focusing on articulation using one type of mallet, I combine the tightness or looseness of my grip with how and where I strike the bar to create different kinds of sounds. This could be compared to the way in which a jazz drummer works with the ride cymbal, varying the ride pattern as a means of musical expression.

7. Which Mallet Should I Use?

I hope I have provided some clear guidelines for exploring and developing your own sound. Remember to listen carefully to the sound you produce. Also, be aware that what works for someone else’s situation may not work for yours. For example, if I played with my mallets, which were designed for a Yamaha 5-octave instrument, on a Musser Brentwood marimba (with narrow bars that are all the same width) , they wouldn’t work at all. The mallets would not be matched to the bar size in weight or core size.

You must experiment with your specific instrument. You must develop your own concept of your desired marimba sound and find or make mallets that will work for you and with your instrument to create your own musical soundscape.

Wrap It Up - An Introduction to Marimba Mallet Wrapping

Why wrap your own mallets when there are so many companies producing fine mallets today? Because you can save a lot of money by recycling your mallets , and you can produce a more customized wrap. Some people are daunted by the idea of wrapping their own marimba mallets, but it only takes a little practice and patience to learn the art of mallet wrapping. It is nearly impossible to recreate the original sound of a mallet when you rewrap it unless you use the exact same yarn and wrapping style. Even then, tension, weight, and other factors could cause it to sound different than the original. Those who want to recreate the original should send it back to the manufacturer. (At the end of the article, I have provided a list of companies that will rewrap mallets for less than the cost of new ones.) For those who are willing to do a little experimenting, read on. Remember, it’s only yarn; if you don’t like the way it turns out the first time, you can cut it off and try again.

1. Materials

The type of yarn you choose is very subjective. Some of the most popular choices are acrylic mixes, wool, cotton, and nylon cord. In my own wrapping, I have primarily used an acrylic four-ply yarn made by Caron called “Simply Soft.” It is a good, general-purpose yarn that doesn’t fray easily and has just a little

You will also need sharp scissors, good lighting, and, of course, a mallet. (A glass of wine and a Gary Burton CD round things out perfectly—but those are optional!)

2. Preparation

For those who want to start with the easiest kind of mallet to wrap, choose one with a rubber core that is doughnut shaped rather than a true round ball. The first step is to remove the old yarn. Cut the yarn at the top or bottom so you do not damage the core or any rubber or other materials that are under the yarn. Then check to be sure your core is glued on tightly. If you noticed any kind of “ticking” sound before you unwrapped the stick, the glue seal has probably been broken. If this is the case, you may have to remove the core, scrape out the old glue, and then reapply. You may want to contact the original mallet manufacturer for suggestions on re-gluing. I have had some success with hot glue, and not much success with Super Glue, but I know people who will swear to the opposite

results. You can also check a hardware or craft store for glues that are made for the type of core you have (i.e., gluing rubber to wood, plastic to wood, wood to wood, etc.).You also want to check any materials that are over your core, or you may want to add some. Rubber tubing can be cut and slid over the core, using liquid soap as a lubricant. Be sure the tubing is tight or it can tick.

One thing to be aware of when using rubber is that you can never make a mallet sound harder than the core. So test the unwrapped mallet on the range of the marimba it’s intended for. If the rubber makes it too soft to speak in the upper register, wrapping will only make it heavier, not harder.

The advantages of using rubber are that it allows you to use a heavy plastic core if you like a heavy mallet or want a two toned stick. It also helps protect your bars from being cracked. Moleskin or tape can also be used for different effects or to add weight; just be careful about creating a seam.

To prepare a skein of yarn for its first use, be sure that the tail end of the yarn and the starter end are both untucked from the skein. (These are at opposite ends of the skein.) If that confuses you, most yarns have instructions and arrows telling you how to properly start the skein. If you don’t start it properly you could end up with a giant knot. A quick way to measure yarn—rather than counting wraps—is to count the number of arm’s lengths you pull out of the skein. Three or four arm’s lengths is about the maximum I would recommend pulling to begin.3.WarppingNow you are ready to wrap. Note: The following instructions are given from a right-handed person’s point of view and directions (left, right) are given from the wrapper’s perspective.

A. Position the back end of the mallet so it is stable (not floating in the air). I like to hold it with my left hand, firm against my leg, so the top of the core is easily visible.

B. With your right hand, pick up the yarn and put the end of it under your left thumb, just under the core.

C. Wrap the yarn around the base of the core clockwise two times (still bracing with the left thumb) and then bring the yarn to the top of the core (“north pole”) and continue across to the opposite side and down to the “south pole.”

D. The right hand should hold the yarn firmly against the underside of the core while the left hand turns the stick a quarter of a turn, counterclockwise. Be sure to keep the yarn just under the base of the core; otherwise, subsequent wraps could creep down onto the shaft, creating a very long mallet head.

E. The right hand guides the yarn to the “north pole” again and continues across to the opposite side and down to the “south pole” as before. You should now have an X pattern on the top of the mallet head.

F. Continue turning the shaft counterclockwise with the left and wrapping with the right until the spaces have been filled. Be sure to continue crossing at the “north pole” so a small point begins to form. During this process, the yarn should be kept as taut as possible.

G. Once the core has been covered so that there are no more spaces, you must adjust the top so that you are now crossing approximately 1/8 inch to the left of the point. When you turn the shaft with the left hand, you will now turn in much smaller increments—perhaps 1/10 of a turn. This will create a very distinctive pattern on the top of the mallet.

During this stage of the wrapping, you may adjust the tension of the yarn for various affects. If you want an articulate mallet, continue to wrap tightly. If you want a rolling mallet, wrap a few more layers tightly and then gradually decrease the tension until the last layer is rather loose. If you want a two-toned stick, wrap loose immediately after the core has been covered.

I suggest that beginners continue with a relatively tight wrap, but not so tight that your hands turn red; otherwise, the sewing step (to come) will be too difficult without the aid of pliers to pull the needle through the yarn.

H. This is perhaps the most important step—and one that people too often ignore. You must test the mallet BEFORE you sew it. To do that, bring the yarn to the bottom of the core and wrap it around the shaft two or three times. One hand can hold the yarn while the other tests the mallet. Be sure to check the entire range in which you want to use the mallet. If you don’t like anything about the sound, weight, or look of the mallet, change it now before you cut the yarn. Simply remove layers or add layers as needed, and then retest.

I. Once you are satisfied with the mallet, cut the yarn about two feet from your last wrap and thread the needle. Be sure you have pulled enough yarn through the needle head so that you can get a good grip on it while sewing.

J. The first stitch is on the top of the mallet. Put the needle in the hole (“north pole”) and point it to your left. Push it through the top couple of layers to the outside of the mallet. It should come out approximately 1/8 inch to the left of the hole.

K. With your left hand, turn the shaft counterclockwise just a tiny bit for the next stitch. Continue stitching until you have gone all the way around the top circle. (I prefer to put the stitches right next to each other, but some people sew only 8 or 10. It is a matter of preference.)

L. When you make your last stitch on the top, push the needle through the mallet as far down as possible (angling out so as not to damage the core). It usually will come out about halfway. Then put it in the same spot it came out and push it down so that it comes out next to the shaft, under the core.

M. Flip the mallet over so you are looking at the underside with the shaft sticking up in the air. Put the needle in next to the shaft and sew through a few layers, coming out approximately 1/8 inch from the shaft.

N. This time the left hand turns the mallet clockwise, so you will be sewing to your left. Continue stitching just like on the top of the mallet, being sure to pull the stitch toward the top of the mallet head—not toward you.

O. When you have made your last stitch, push the needle through the mallet as far as it will go toward the top (again, about halfway). Pull it out, keeping the yarn very tight. Make your cut right next to the mallet and the end of the yarn will disappear into the wrap.

It will take some practice to get faster and to be able to make a set of mallets that match. But once you master these steps, there is no end to the creative possibilities. Some mallet manufacturers that offer rewrapping are: A. Putnam Mallets, Encore Mallets, Grover, Innovative Percussion, Malletech, The Mallet Co. (VMax), Mike Balter, and Vic Firth.