Recent Posts

81

General Discussion / Re: Homemade mallets

« Last post by Ray on December 31, 2008, 10:30:40 PM »

4 mallets. Of course. Didn't think of that aspect. Although, I don't know if it is the size of my hands or what, but it's actually more comfortable for me to hold 2 - 1/2" shafts than 5/16". The 5/16" just flop around. But that is probably as much lack of knowing grip and technique.

On to the DIY guide.

82

Playing, Performance, Practise / Re: "Seeing" the notes

« Last post by Jim McCarthy on December 31, 2008, 01:29:10 AM »

No - I think the practice is the thing.
Really individual bar recognition is no good unless you always play exactly the same instrument. A professional player does not always have that luxury. The visual pattern is definitely the main thing, and it DOES get a lot easier with hours under the belt. Also of course, just the muscle memory. Scales, arpreggios and chords and other patterns that are common - well they eventually get repeated often enough that the physical movement and distances become remembered and ingrained. Of course that is one of the main reasons why it can be difficult for a player to switch between instruments, and also why my marimba building designs try to employ as close as possible to "standard" commercial bar dimensions and spacings.

Practise is the thing.
When I was a very young baby, walking on two legs seemed impossible, but now I make it look easy!

83

General Discussion / Re: Homemade mallets

« Last post by Jim McCarthy on December 31, 2008, 01:22:26 AM »

Hi Ray
Yes - I have certainly found that making your own mallets saves HEAPS of cash and ultimately gives you a much wider range of options and understanding as well. The 8mm or 5/16 IS certainly a standard but I have seen shafts both thinner and thicker. Usually only mallets for glockenspiel or something similar would use thinner shafts. Thicker shafts are not all that common but more so. Sometimes cane shafts are a fraction over 8mm - about 9mm (11/32) but that is more about cane being a natural and tapered product. I have a set of six two-tone graduated mallets which I made especially for a certain piece of music many years ago called "Rhythmic caprice" by Leigh H. Stevens. The piece involves a fair bit of strong playing over the edges of the bars so the thicker shafts - 10mm (6/16ths) got more sound from the timber contact alone as well as being less likely to break just under the mallet head - always a risk with that type of playing - especially with the "marimshots"!! - others who have performed the piece will know what I mean!

The reasons for the standards are both practical and historical in a sense. It is discussed in a fair bit of detail in the mallet making guide but essentially a thinner mallet is MUCH easier to hold two of in one hand. Also of course the cane handles which were preferred even more earlier on - are available only in certain standard sizes, and there is a big relationship between acceptable degree of fleaxibility for a mallet shaft, and its length and diameter - especially cane! These days it's more about 4 mallets. Try holding four drum sticks in ANY accepted grip and you soon run into problems!

Also - the length of shaft vs weight of mallet head is discussed a fair bit in the guide. It often comes down to muscular development, required span, and how far up the shaft you actually grip.

84

Playing, Performance, Practise / "Seeing" the notes

« Last post by Ray on December 29, 2008, 11:18:31 PM »

Jim, do you have any tips on being able to "see" the notes as placed on the keyboard? Like I have mentioned in our communications, C-E is not as bad as F-B, especially finding that G and A.

I am looking at 12 notes in an octave arranged in an illogical fashion, all things considered. To me, anyway. Is it just practice, practice, practice that helps the eyes find these same colored notes (in my case all black with a Malletkat), or can the eyes and brain use "tips" in seeing things as one plays?

With wood materials I suspect there might be grain patterns in the actual keys the eyes would get familiar looking at. But with metal vibes, or with the malletkat the only thing to really distinguish placement is the spacing of the two and three sharp/flats. Is that all the player really has to work with?

85

General Discussion / Homemade mallets

« Last post by Ray on December 29, 2008, 11:07:56 PM »

Jim,

When I got my mallet kat I began using cymbal mallets I made myself. The shafts are half inch on most of the ones I've made. I got some keyboard mallets off ebay, nothing fancy. I just wanted to see what the whole difference was like, balance and feel-wise. I am assuming the 5/16" shaft on these mallets is fairly standard. Man, what a difference. All top heavy in the feel. Obviously drum sticks go for different widths and balances throughout. The ones I chose are a simple hard rubber mallet. They were inexpensive. I didn't want to go for anything special at this point.

In coming to your site, I also saw the book on making mallets. Bingo! I'm going to get a copy of the book. DIY is always the path I will take first. But I wanted to ask if keyboard mallets come in widths greater than 5/16" or is that the standard all players use? Considering I'll be playing drums all the time, as well, I am hoping to make mallets that fall somewhere in between in shaft diameter.

The Malletkat being the device it is, I could use drum sticks if I wanted to, but I want to get more authentic than that.

Perhaps there is a history/theory of mallets being so thin? 

86

General Discussion / Re: Welcome to Percussion KEYS forum!

« Last post by Jim McCarthy on December 29, 2008, 08:57:56 AM »

No problems at all Ray - That's what I'm here for. I'll always do my best to help in any way I can.
Jim

87

General Discussion / Re: Welcome to Percussion KEYS forum!

« Last post by Ray on December 29, 2008, 05:42:48 AM »

Hi Jim. Glad to be aboard. I may end up driving you crazy with questions, though. 

88

General Discussion / Welcome to Percussion KEYS forum!

« Last post by Jim McCarthy on December 23, 2008, 11:42:34 PM »

Hello friends, and welcome to this forum which is exclusively for you - enthusiasts of building and playing mallet percussion instruments. Please feel free to share your thoughts and information or ask any questions either of me or other forum members.

If you are not a member of the Percussion Keys Website - you are missing out on much of this forum and all the video lessons etc so check out http://www.makeamarimba.com for more info.

I look forward to meeting you online.

Jim McCarthy
Administrator