Mallets (music)
Mallet is the term used in music for the striking part of a percussion instrument , for example in drums , triangles , cymbals and stick games . The mallets usually consist of a shaft, which is mainly used for holding, and the mallet head with which the instrument is played (struck). The shaft and head can be made of a material such as wood, bamboo or metal, but other materials are often used for the head. This allows sound nuances to be created and the sound to be varied from soft (felt) to hard (wood):
- Drum: wood , plastic , in jazz also metal (- broom )
- Timpani : wood, felt , leather , flannel , cork , sponge
- Triangle : metal
When it comes to drums , the mallet is usually called a stick . The term beater is often used for the mallet on the pedal .
In classical music, Hector Berlioz first specified the use of a certain type of mallet (sponge mallet) in 1810. Previously, the selection was made by the musician, and wooden mallets were mainly used.
Mallet is also the name for the part that struck the note of certain stringed instruments:
- Chopping board ( Stubenmusi ): wood, usually covered with leather, also with felt
- Cymbal ( Zymbal ): wood
See also: Hammerklavier (striking parts of the pianos)