What marimba mallets should I get?
Most marimbas are made of rosewood, a hardwood that needs to be protected due to its limited amounts. To avoid damaging the bars, the lower the range you are playing, the softer the mallet should be. If you are covering a large range, I recommend starting with a medium yarn mallet.
Can you use rubber mallets on marimba?
Hard rubber is suited to instruments such as the glockenspiel and the xylophone, while soft rubber is suited to the marimba.
What is the difference between marimba and vibraphone mallets?
Marimba mallets use a softer yarn than vibraphone mallets, which use cord. The harder cord and rounder shape of the mallet head allows the mallets to produce a clear sound from the metal bars of the vibraphone. Note the differences in appearance between the Vic Firth marimba and vibraphone mallets below.
How much does a good marimba cost?
A good marimba will typically cost you as much as a decent piano. List prices for marimbas start at around $2500 and go all the way up to $15000 and higher. The “street price” (the price one would actually pay) is usually quite a bit less if you can find a dealer that offers a good discount.
Is mallet percussion hard?
We’ve seen that it is notoriously difficult to read on mallet instruments, and as the class learns more notes, the mallet tests may become a disproportionately greater challenge for percussionists who don’t play xylophone, marimba, bells or vibraphone on a regular basis.
Can you use xylophone mallets on marimba?
Xylophone mallets are different from Marimba mallets, which are different from Vibraphone mallets, because of the characteristics of the instruments they are designed to play. A Xylophone mallet, when used on a Marimba, can damage the marimba. A Marimba mallet used on a Xylophone would not be loud enough to be heard.
What kind of mallets are used for xylophone?
Mallets. Xylophones should be played with very hard rubber, polyball, or acrylic mallets. Sometimes medium to hard rubber mallets, very hard core, or yarn mallets are used for softer effects. Lighter tones can be created on xylophones by using wooden-headed mallets made from rosewood, ebony, birch, or other hard woods.
Can you use marimba mallets on a xylophone?
Xylophone mallets are different from Marimba mallets, which are different from Vibraphone mallets, because of the characteristics of the instruments they are designed to play. A Marimba mallet used on a Xylophone would not be loud enough to be heard. Q.
What sound does a marimba make?
Dark, mellow, gentle, velvety, earthy, full, sonorous, dull, hollow, resonant, round, melodious, wooden. The sound of the marimba is composed of the attack and resonance, which in the low register can last for two to three seconds.
What is the most expensive percussion instrument?
The Hammer Stadivarius was crafted during Stradivarius’ aforementioned ‘golden era’ in 1707. The Hammer also shattered the Lady Tennant Strad’s record when it sold to an anonymous bidder in 2006 for a jaw-dropping $3.54 million after 5 minutes of bidding.