malletjazz.com FAQ pages

“Should I play four mallets or two mallets?”

I’m a big proponent of starting players out on two mallets when they are beginning their marimba or vibraphone studies. Two mallet playing is very intuitive, certainly compared to four-mallet technique, and this allows players to focus on other issues related to playing mallet instruments, such as developing a good sound, learning basic stroke technique, learning the arrangement of notes on the keyboard, etc. If you develop your four-mallet technique enough, you should be able to play any single-line melodies that you can play when holding only two mallets, and because of this, some players just don’t see the point of two-mallet technique. Personally, I use both from time to time - but two-mallet playing for me tends to be limited to either orchestral work, or pieces I learned originally with two mallets (such as the Creston Concertino movements I and III, xylophone rags, etc.)

I’ve heard many jazz mallet players claim that it’s easier to “swing” holding two mallets rather than four. If that works for you, great, but I'm not completely convinced of this. Swing comes from your internalized concept of time and your understanding of a good jazz “feel,” not from your hands or the number of mallets you’re holding. Make your musical decisions using your ears and your brain, not your hands.

- JW