Why Mallets Matter

• Kate Hagen
• Posted 7/15/22
• 6 comments

Music teachers have a love-hate relationship with mallets  – the indispensable accessory! 

We continually remind our students to wrap their pointer fingers around the mallet, to relax their wrists, but WAIT – it is not time to play yet.  Not to mention the anxiety of having too few pairs, and the unexpected expense when they wear out (turning the sounds produced on the instruments from pleasant to horrific). 

So – how do we manage this necessary accessory of every music room? 

What Mallets Should I Buy?

Consider these two questions:  

1. What’s your personal preference for sound? Length? Grip? 
2. What type of ensembles do you teach in your classroom? 

Personal Preference  

If you prefer a mellow, softer sound, you will want to stick with yarn or felt mallets. Use felt mallets on all metal and wood instruments in your classroom. If you don’t want to bother determining which mallet is suitable for each specific instrument, felt mallets are a great choice.

With yarn mallets, the rule of thumb is softer mallets for bass instruments and all sizes of metallophones.  Use medium-density mallets with alto and tenor-alto wood instruments and occasionally soprano xylophones—Reserve the hard yarn mallets for soprano xylophones only.   

Rubber mallets are also available in three densities (hard – medium – soft); these will produce a more percussive and penetrating sound.  Hint – when your yarn mallets wear out – you may be able to cut off the remaining yarn to reveal rubber mallets. 

Ensemble Recommendation 

When using xylophones, recorders, and a few auxiliary instruments, felt and yarn mallets work exceptionally well.  However, if you choose to perform ensembles that incorporate many drums, you will want to consider switching to rubber mallets.  Even when played softly, drums can easily over-power your ensemble. To ensure that the melody cuts through, rubber mallets are the solution.    

Improve Playing Technique  

Unfortunately, mallets are not a one-size-fits-all kind of accessory.  To increase your students’ success (especially your youngest students), you need to equip them with appropriately sized mallets.   

Did you know that a regular mallet is the same length as most kindergarteners’ entire arm? To give you a little perspective – this would be the same as an adult attempting to play accurately with the Large Red C Boomwhacker™.  It’s no wonder that students try to gain a little bit of control by pointing their index fingers. 

So, the first step is to equip students with mallets that fit their bodies. Kindergartners, first graders, and some second graders need short mallets.  Have you ever stopped to consider that these children are the same kids that are also just learning to write?   

In our school, the curriculum is called “Handwriting without Tears.” I think the only reason music teachers do not end up with tears is because when we hand our kids mallets, they know they will get to make noise. 

Many of us avoid letting our youngest students play barred instruments because we do not want to face the challenges.  I am not one of those teachers now because I eliminated two problems by using shorter mallets.  Now, my students play more accurately, and they hold their mallets correctly.   And it only took me 20 years of teaching general music to figure this out! 

I still use Artie Almeida’s “pinch and wrap” chant to help teach the proper hold. And, my students require frequent reminders of “rest position.”  I also remind them to play “music, not noise” when practicing.  Shorter mallets will not solve all of your issues, but they do help. 

Mallet Brands 

When you open a music catalog or type mallets into a search, you may be overwhelmed with the range of costs, styles, and brands available. In my experience, mallets are essentially the same. I prefer the grip on some and the head shape on others. However, I make my final choice using the following three criteria: 

• What is my budget? 
• How many pairs do I need? 
• What instruments am I purchasing them for? 

This year I spent $350 on 25 pairs of 8″ short mallets for my youngest students.  In my opinion – they were worth every penny.  Next year, I will replace many of my yarn mallets.  

As I said at the start of the article – I have a love-hate relationship with my mallets.  My students don’t notice when I replace mallets but are quick to complain when they get the mallets with the yarn fringes.  And let’s not forget the class reaction when a mallet breaks during class!   

On the flip side, I love the awe in students’ faces when we play a piece that sounds fantastic.  Or my favorite: their pride when they master playing with three mallets or a melody with a complicated sticking pattern. This is why I will always spend a portion of my budget on mallets – the indispensable accessory of the music room.

This article was originally published by Music ConstructED on June 29th, 2021.

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