Mallet Grip

[los]

I've got an idea, why don't we try learning music and build on reading and performance skills since that's the whole point of playing. I think people are getting a lil' too carried away with the technical side. Yes, it's very important to develop good technique but I believe you should use the music to fine tune technical issues. Before taking on a peice of music , one should study the score and based on the demands of the music choose what grip will accomidate you and develop exerercises to strengthen weaknesses.

I wouldn't just stereo-type one grip for one instrument..I.E. Burton grip on Vibes and Steven's on Marimba. These modified grips orginally came from Musser grip with the modifications to suit what they were trying to do with the instrument they are playing, but there's no law that you can't use a cross-grip on Marimba Many japanese marimbist like Keiko Abe and Momoko Kamiya also Ludwig Albert. Ney Rosauro, Nancy Zeltsman, and (don't qoute me on the this last one) and Rebecca Kite, all use cross-grip/ traditional grip. There have been times where I used Steven's on Vibraphone for a better reach. Each grip has it's advantages, but it's up to the performer to figure out what's needed in the situation.

One last thought...you can work on different grips/ technique till the cows come home ,but it doesn't mean squat if you're not playing/ performing music. There's more to making music than the technique you use.

[pitcorps]

One last thought...you can work on different grips/ technique till the cows come home ,but it doesn't mean squat if you're not playing/ performing music.  There's more to making music than the technique you use.

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just to throw this out there...

i absolutely agree that the music is the absolute goal, but without technique that allows you to do the things you want to do with the music, how can you express the music you want to create?

i heard an awesome quote that said something along the lines of, every amazing musician is in nature required to be an amazing technician, but every amazing technician is not necessarily an amazing musician...

[Eggbert]

here are some photos of standard grips:

http://bd.tamu-commerce.edu/www/s/sae/techniques.htm

and a good set of written descriptions:

http://www.uh.edu/~tkoozin/projects/WanHwaLow/Overview.html

Stout grip is like Musser but the sticks cross in the hand. Reportedly, Stout's teacher wanted him to start with Musser grip but his hands were too small so he choked up on the sticks and crossed them in the back. He always played so comfortably there was never any reason to change.

Choosing a grip to suit the music and the parts to be played is always a good idea. But, for younger players it's hard to get one grip working, let alone three or four. C is a good starting grip for it's power and simplicity. Musser/Stevens is good for independence. The important thing is that all the notes get played and it's done musically. Ultimately, players do whatever they have to. I'll put a stick up my nose if it will help reach a stretch.

[los]

Great Post Eggbert. I don't know why all the sudden buzz about Stout's grip. I went to a clinic and thought the story behind it was interesting though.

I'm not trying to say , "throw technique out the window" ...I'm just noticing how there are some players out there (young and some old) that seem to be getting away from the basics needed in order to produce music (expressionism, physical placement, phrasing, music theory, sound projection, and sometimes impliments used.) This mainly speaking of solo marimba playing because playing in a front ensemble can be slightly different. There are even more factors concerning ensemble playing.

I just never heard many people in an audience of untrained percussionist compliment others on technique alone. Not saying it doesn't but let's not forget about communicating to the audience. For those who are members of PAS, Ludwig Albert did an article/clinic on this. It appears in Percussive Notes Vol.42 No.5 Oct. issue.

[uncle z]

Great Post Eggbert.

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Yeah, that guy is worth listening to--he won I&E in 1979!!!

[Eggbert]

Yeah, that guy is worth listening to--

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shhhh! i'm in cognito!

[Eggbert]

...I'm just noticing how there are some players out there (young and some old) that seem to be getting away from the basics needed in order to produce music

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los... you make good points. One of the hardest things is to make a mallet instrument sound smooth and melodic. My fav has always been Milt Jackson. You can bet he rarely gave a hoot about technique and he was a master of line.

On the drum corps front... it's hard to project any kind of subtlety up to the box. Amplification helps volume but mushes the quality of sound, particularly with mallet instruments. But, that's another discussion. What I don't see on the field is players attacking the music with a fire in their pants. That's what it's all about, baby, yeeaaah! ^0^

So many players here use Stevens, but it's SO not suited to drum corps parts or projection. Stevens is designed as a chamber technique to play chamber music, Bach specifically. It doesn't have enough oomph for large ensemble music. But, the conversion from Stevens to Musser is easy. Turn the thumbs slightly to the inside until the wrist can bend in the same way as matched grip for snare or tenors, almost doubling the range of motion. That's all there is to it.

Edited November 24, 2004 by Eggbert

[Sean1]

how ever I grab the sticks

[Sayre Kulp]

Burton for I&E Champion Skyliners Pit

[SpiritKid]

can someone please hook me up with some links about Stout grip or Musser grip? please? ive never seen either of the two...ive seen Stevens which is a modified musser grip but have never seen musser itself or Stout grip...so if anynoe could please give me some links about the two grips or some pics.

Thanks:)