Mallet Like a Percussionist Cathy Moklebust, Session Leader Handbell Musicians of America National Seminar Renaissance Phoenix Glendale Hotel Phoenix, AZ July 18-18, 2021 Equipment needed for session: 2 bells; 2 appropriate mallets; padded table • Stance o Lean slightly over the table o Bend knees • The Matched Grip (P. 3, Ex. 1) o Arms/elbows naturally at sides o Thumbs inside o Hold mallet between thumb and index finger knuckle – fulcrum o Fingers behind mallet shaft, but not grasping o Find balance position on shaft o 80 degree angle o Malleting bells on/off the table (P. 3, Ex. 1, 3, 4) o Holding 2 mallets in 1 hand (P. 4, Ex. 5-7) • Stroke o Motion from wrist, thumb, index finger, not arms o Strike casting at same level that clapper strikes o Drawing/lifting the tone from the casting o Dynamic control = distance + velocity • Sticking (P. 5-6) o Strong hand – strong beat o Lateral movement between bells o Alternate sticking beginning a pattern with weaker hand malleting consecutively with one hand The Paradiddle o Rhythm concerns page turns while malleting malleting two bells at once at a rapid tempo 1
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Mallet Like a Percussionist
Cathy Moklebust, Session Leader
Handbell Musicians of America National Seminar Renaissance Phoenix Glendale Hotel
• Stance o Lean slightly over the table o Bend knees
• The Matched Grip (P. 3, Ex. 1)
o Arms/elbows naturally at sides o Thumbs inside o Hold mallet between thumb and index finger knuckle – fulcrum o Fingers behind mallet shaft, but not grasping o Find balance position on shaft o 80 degree angle o Malleting bells on/off the table (P. 3, Ex. 1, 3, 4) o Holding 2 mallets in 1 hand (P. 4, Ex. 5-7)
• Stroke
o Motion from wrist, thumb, index finger, not arms o Strike casting at same level that clapper strikes o Drawing/lifting the tone from the casting o Dynamic control = distance + velocity
• Sticking (P. 5-6)
o Strong hand – strong beat o Lateral movement between bells o Alternate sticking beginning a pattern with weaker hand malleting consecutively with one hand The Paradiddle
o Rhythm concerns page turns while malleting malleting two bells at once at a rapid tempo
1
• Rhythms (P. 5-6) o Eighth, triplet, sixteenth, dotted rhythms
• Rolling
o The Single Stroke Roll (P. 7) o Bell on/off the table o 1 or 2 mallets per hand
• Musical Examples (P. 8)
• Practice – practice – practice!
Resources
• Handbell Techniques with Michèle Sharik (DVD), Above the Line Publishing • Handbells.com (Nancy Kirkner) (handbell articles/blog) • Malleting Suspended Bells (Kevin McChesney) (article), Sonology Music