Percussion mallet

A mallet is normally held in the hand while a beater may be a foot or mechanically operated, for example in a bass drum pedal.

There is a wide selection of mallets to choose from to create a desired sound, articulation, character, and dynamic for the pieces being played.

There are three main types: Mallet shafts are commonly made of rattan, birch, or synthetic materials such as fibreglass.

Birch is stiff and typically longer, while rattan is a more flexible shaft and gives a more open sound.

Generally, mallets composed of softer materials will stick to the instrument for longer as they bounce off of it, which gives a deeper sound made up of lower frequencies.

Long used in orchestral music, in the mid-20th century routes also became popular for many other purposes including kit drumming and bodhrán.