Mallet Instruments

A Brief History of Mallet Instruments

The xylophone, marimba, bells, glockenspiel and vibraphone developed in Asia and Europe during the 12th to 19th centuries. Although made of a variety of materials, from bamboo to rosewood, to steel, their principle is the same: blocks or tubes are cut to various lengths and suspended on a flat board, which is struck with a nobbed mallet. There are a wide variety of mallets available for each instrument, depending upon the strength and tone desired. Some mallet instruments allow the performer to use two or more mallets in each hand to strike deep, soft chords.