Mallet Technique
I am certain that you discussed mallet technique in your Level’s courses, so as you already know, how we hold a pair of mallets to strike barred instruments really affects the quality of sound!
Here are a few tips for correct mallet grip:
Use a short and sweet catchphrase that guides their hands to a proper grip.
Artie Almeida’s Cue: “Pinch and Wrap”
- Pinch the mallet with your thumb and index finger.
- Wrap the other fingers around the stick.
Jennifer’s Cue: “Gentle Fists, Bike Handles Come Down”
- Hold the mallet in a gentle fist.
- As if you’re holding bike handles, similarly hold the mallets. The “bike handles” analogy promotes the correct angle of the wrist. Elbows slightly away from the body.

Mallet Technique
I am certain that you discussed mallet technique in your Level’s courses, so as you already know, how we hold a pair of mallets to strike barred instruments really affects the quality of sound!
Here are a few tips for correct mallet grip:
Use a short and sweet catchphrase that guides their hands to a proper grip.
Artie Almeida’s Cue: “Pinch and Wrap”
- Pinch the mallet with your thumb and index finger.
- Wrap the other fingers around the stick.
Jennifer’s Cue: “Gentle Fists, Bike Handles Come Down”
- Hold the mallet in a gentle fist.
- As if you’re holding bike handles, similarly hold the mallets. The “bike handles” analogy promotes the correct angle of the wrist. Elbows slightly away from the body.
A Physical gesture that becomes a silent cue
- The gesture/cue = self-check for proper mallet grips.
- Silent gestures become cues for focused, clean starts to pieces or songs. Once that’s established, I give that gesture to communicate the message, “YO! Get ready, I’m going to start!”
Emphasis on Bouncing:
- Bouncing off the bar creates the resonate sound desired. Imagine the head the mallet is similar to a basketball being dribbled: it comes right back up before going down again.
Common Mistakes:
- Students lay out the index finger along the stick of the mallet. For many, this allows them to feel they can control the movement more precisely, but instead, they typically press the head of the mallet to the bar, creating a non-resonant, muted sound. In my classroom, we call this, “sticky mallets.”
- Bounce off the middle of the bar, not the bottom, not the top, right in the middle!
In early barred instrument lessons, it’s essential to focus on both sound exploration and foundational mallet technique.
Wondering what mallets to use for any musical situation? Check out Building Your Classroom Instrumentarium: Mallets For Barred Instruments in our blog section.
Looking for a lesson for barred instrument exploration? Check the lesson tab in this blog.