A drum stick is not the only thing you need to beat a drum. There are so many mallets and beaters that you can use either on your kit or on other percussion instruments. Here are a few of some of the popular mallets that I recommend and a little bit about what sound they can produce.
Check out our full range of mallets and beaters: HERE
Wrapped Beaters
Wrapped mallets have material wound around them as the tip of the beater or a softer head. This is usually either soft rubber/latex or yarn/chord. They are used on instruments with soft keys such as a vibraphone or marimba. The general rule for wrapped mallets is the tighter it is wrapped the louder the contact sound will be. This also applies to the material, if you use yarn the sound will be softer and if you use chord the sound will be louder.
Unwrapped Mallets
Unwrapped mallets vary in head size and weight. The material used is wooden/rubber and means they have a dynamic range between them. The softer and lighter the mallet is the rubber head will produce a quieter contact sound compared to a hard wooden head. They can vary in shapes and sizes depending on what percussion instrument you want to play. The two common types are a round head or hammer head. Unwrapped mallets are used on instruments with harder keys such as glockenspiel and xylophones.
Felt Mallets
Felt mallets vary in size and also hold density. Found in either hard, medium or soft varieties. They are used commonly on un tuned percussion such as cymbals and timpani's to generate a sustain depending on how hard or soft you hit them. These mallets are made by using 2 metal washers and wrapping the felt around them to the preferred size, weight and thickness. They are generally mounted on wooden hollow sticks however it can vary to metal or solid wood to help enhance control.
If you want any more information on the Mallets and Beaters then please do not hesitate to contact me on 01283 535333 option 1 and I will be happy to answer any questions you have.
