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World Percussion Sticks & Mallets

Shop World Percussion Drumsticks & Mallets at West Music

The tools you use to play your percussion instruments will strongly impact the overall sound. In order to give you a range of options, West Music has curated a top-notch selection of rhythm and timbale drum sticks, mallets, and more for many types of world drum players. Best yet, most items, like our Brazilian sticks, have been designed for multi-use and cross-genre playability. These products range from high-quality hickory drum sticks that are ideal for sleek drum techniques, to thick rhythm sticks that are perfect for youngsters who are learning rhythmic fundamentals. Shop with West Music to order products from Vic Firth, Basic Beat, Remo, and more.

How to Hold Your Drumsticks or Mallets

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Your network or browser security settings may be blocking the products from loading (to confirm, try opening this page on your phone's cellular network).

Please try the following options to proceed with your order:

1. To place your order over the phone, call us Monday-Friday, 9am - 5pm CST at 1-800-397-9378.

2. Shop via a different browser or network connection (i.e. on your phone or with a different Wi-Fi network).

3. Contact your IT team to ask them to whitelist js.klevu.com.

4. You can also click here to access our digital catalog. Use the search at the top of the Catalog screen to find a product, click a link to navigate the product detail page (product pages will load normally), and add it to your cart. You can also navigate directly to product pages by adding a 6-digit item number (i.e. "400278") to the end of our URL (i.e. Westmusic.com/400278).

Sticks and Mallets in World Percussion

In the diverse universe of world percussion, the tools used to produce sound—sticks, and mallets—play a crucial role as instruments. These implements, from rhythmic sticks to specialized gong mallets, are extensions of the musician's hands, transforming motion into music. Each type of stick and mallet, whether a smooth stick designed for the gentle taps on a talking drum or the robust bass drum mallet used to summon deep, resonant tones, plays a specific role in a particular song. Through these tools, the universal language of rhythm and sound continues to connect people across cultures and generations, celebrating the shared experience of music.

The Importance of Rhythmic Sticks

Rhythm sticks, often used in pairs, serve as the primary beatmakers in many percussion setups. Unlike their drumstick counterparts in Western drumming, rhythm sticks can vary significantly in size, weight, and material, tailored to the specific instrument they're designed to play. These sticks are essential in ensembles, providing the backbone of the rhythm and allowing musicians to articulate patterns that define the genre's character, from the lively tempos of West African drum circles to the intricate rhythms of Cuban rumba.

Smooth Sticks for Precision

The smooth stick, often used with instruments like the xylophone or metallophone, is crafted to produce clear, precise tones. Its smooth surface minimizes friction and unwanted sound, ensuring each note rings true. In world music, the soft stick might be used on various pitched percussion instruments, requiring a delicate touch to elicit the melodic lines that weave through the rhythmic texture.

The Unique Talking Drumstick

The talking drumstick is uniquely paired with the talking drum, an instrument capable of mimicking the tones and prosody of speech. The stick is typically curved and made of hardwood, designed to strike the drum's membrane precisely. The talking drum and its stick are used in West African and other cultures to "speak" rhythms and convey messages and emotions through music.

Power of the Bass Drum Mallet

The bass drum mallet is designed to coax deep, powerful sounds from large bass drums, which is standard in many traditional music forms worldwide. These mallets typically feature a large, padded head to distribute the strike's force over a wider area, producing a profound tone without damaging the drum skin. Whether used in the steady pulse of a Brazilian samba band or the dramatic flourishes of a Japanese taiko performance, the bass drum mallet is indispensable for adding depth to the ensemble's sound.

Gong Mallets: Awakening Resonance

The gong mallet is crafted to awaken the deep, resonating sounds of the gong, an instrument featured in musical traditions from Asia to the Middle East and beyond. With a padded, often spherical head, the gong mallet delivers forceful yet controlled strikes that unleash the gong's powerful overtones and sustain. In ceremonial, theatrical, and musical settings, the gong mallet is critical to harnessing the gong's sonic breadth, from gentle whispers to thunderous roars.

Author: Aaron Hansen