Mallet Percussion Approach

 

 

Mallet Percussion:

Technique  Overall, your musical ceiling can only be as high as your technical  Developing “chops” and a strong foundation of correct motions will make ceiling. Developing ceiling. learning music easier and increase your ability to perform music at a much higher level.   2-mallet Fundamentals  Technique o  Mechanics Mechanics o  Touch (legato vs. staccato) Touch  Scales  Intervals: Thirds, Fourths, etc.  Arpeggios  Double Stops  Double Strokes  Rolls: o  Single-Stroke Rolls Single-Stroke o  H Have ave them play straight sixteenth notes, then just relax their hands/fingers and speed their hands up a little. •

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(with Burton or Stevens grip)   4-mallet Fundamentals  Double Vertical •

 Single Independent  Single Alternating  Double Lateral

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Sound Quality   Sound quality is one of the most important aspects about playing any instrument.  instrument.     What type of sound are you looking for? •

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  Full Rich o  Resonant o

 

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  Can you hear differences between thin and full sounds? o  Once you can hear this difference, decide what you did differently to produce a full sound – was it technique or playing area? o  Posture is everything. Upright, Square to the instrument… instrument…no no leaning   o  After the stroke - Hands are below the mallets - full sound and projection   How will mallet selection affect the sound? o

should have enough weight to create the warm sounds   Mallets desired.

  The mallets should do most of the work for you.

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  Where should you strike the bar? o  Differences between playing areas:   Center   Just off Center   Edge of Accidentals   Node   Should you play on the edge or off center of the accidentals? o  Playing on the edge is a different sound quality o  Decisions made by preference of sound and tempos o  I usually prefer to play just play just off  off center. •

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Individual Techniques:   Vibraphone o  Downstrokes? o  Pedal timing o  Mallet dampening   Glockenspiel

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  Finger, Hand, Arm dampening o  Vibrato o

  Crotales o  Mallet choice   Xylophone o  Sustains require very solid technique - fast single strokes   Chimes o  Horizontal stroke on edge of cap o  Hand Dampening

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Watch Out! Out!  Pitfalls…   …Common 1.  Inefficient mallet tracking   Choose a tracking position and stick with it.

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  Rolls - mallet closest to next note moves first.

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2.  Tension in difficult or faster passages 3.  Body positioning - can be your best friend or your worst enemy! - Move body to stay behind the notes you’re playing. 4.  Too much arm in the stroke. Always initiate with the wrist. wrist. …very common in wide intervals with 4-mallets. 5.  Learning music too quickly (bad for memory, trains incorrect muscle memory, less opportunity for analyzing efficient movements/strokes)

 

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Suggested Methods:  A Fresh Approach to Mallet Percussion - Mark Wessels Two – Two  – Gene Koshinski

 A Fresh Approach to Technique & Musicianship with Four Mallets Mal lets  David Skidmore

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Movement - L.H. Stevens    Method of Movement -