Mallet Percussion Basics!

Fall 2001 Volume 4

Mallet Percussion Basics!
by Dave Hagedorn

Mallet percussion is an important part of the percussion world, and a branch that needs to be addressed in the beginning percussionist's lessons. This article will examine various techniques and practice strategies that will enhance your students' instruction. Grip, physical stance, playing spots, mallet selection, and scale practice are topics that will be covered in this article.
The mallets should be held very similar to the snare drum sticks, as shown on page 2 of Standard of Excellence, Book 1.

     The difference between the mallet technique and the snare drum technique is that of rebound. A snare drum stick will naturally rebound off the drum head, whereas the mallet must be lifted off the tone bar with the wrists. Consequently, the mallet should be held closer to the fleshy part of the palms so the wrist can easily lift the mallet away from the tone bar after striking it. The motion is similar to what one would do if one accidentally touched something very hot — the finger would immediately lift off the hot surface.
     To sustain a sound on mallet percussion instruments, a single stroke roll, not a multiple bounce or open double-stroke roll, is used. This technique will also help when playing other percussion instruments that do not have much rebound, such as the woodblock, triangle, or suspended cymbal.
     The physical stance is also very important in playing mallet percussion instruments. Like the snare drum, the weight should be evenly distributed between both feet. It is important to stand in the middle of the range where one is going to be playing. For example, if a student is playing Excellerator 88A from Standard of Excellence – Drums & Mallets Percussion, Book 1, the student should stand in front of first space F.

If, however, the student is playing Excellerator 96B, the student should stand in front of third space C.

I find that standing in this manner makes each passage easier to execute. Similarly, I move the music stand to where I am standing. It's important to have the music stand in a line between the percussionist and the director, so that it is easy to see both the director and the music. This does not mean that you need to move the stand as you are playing, but that you need to pay attention to the range of the passage you are playing and set up accordingly before you begin rehearsing, practicing, or performing.
It is also important to have the instrument at the correct height for each musician. Just as the snare drum needs to be adjusted for the performer's height, the mallet percussion instrument needs to be adjusted also so that the instrument is at a comfortable height to facilitate performance.

Where one plays the tone bars affects both the sound and accuracy. A bar may be struck anywhere except at the nodes (the area of the bar where the cord or supporting device comes in contact with the bar). Encourage students to listen and discover the various sounds created by striking the bars in different places. When playing non-technical passages, the center of all bars is preferred for the purest sound. When playing technical passages, the player should strike the natural bars (those bars that correspond to the white keys on a piano) just off center. The accidental bars (those bars that correspond to the black keys on the piano) should be struck between the node and the edge nearest the player.

     Standard of Excellence provides many scale and arpeggio studies, both within the main body of the book and on page 42 of Book 1. I recommend singing these scale patterns using either note names or solfège. This will help develop the musical ear.
     Using the right mallets for the musical passage is critical to a good performance. I attend many concerts where I can see the percussionist's hands moving on mallet instruments but I can't hear the sounds. Most composers use mallet instruments to add a brilliance of color or sparkle to an ensemble. This sparkle is lost if the mallets are inappropriate. Make certain that hard plastic, brass, or aluminum mallets are used when playing the glockenspiel, or orchestra bells, to project the sound. One should NOT use these mallets on any other instrument. It is a good rule to follow that mallet percussion instruments should NOT be struck by any mallet that is of a harder substance than the tone bar of the instrument that is being played. Xylophones with wooden tone bars should be played with either wooden or hard rubber mallets. Xylophones with synthetic bars may be played with either wood or hard plastic mallets. Marimbas should be played with either rubber or yarn-covered mallets. Vibes work best when played with a cord-covered mallet, as yarn wears out more quickly when it is striking a metal surface.
     I hope that this information is helpful to you as you continue your quest for excellent percussion performance.

Dave Hagedorn is a professional percussionist in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. He is the percussion instructor at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota.

Copyright © 2001 Neil A. Kjos Music Company. All rights reserved.

< < Previous Article | Back to Index | Back to Top | Next Article > >