Marimbalogy.com Ep.7 pt. 1 Four Mallet Grips

[@danielkucharik1343]

Hey, I just wanted to thank you for making this video. This video is what kicked off my marimba "journey" back when I was in middle school. I didn't have access to a private teacher at the time who played marimba, and I didn't want to wait until I got to high school to learn how to hold 4 mallets, so I took to KZbin and found this video. Last week I finished my first year of college as a music ed major!

[@Marimbalogy]

Sweet! That’s exactly why I made them! I was in the same boat! Congrats brother!

[@dineshjanapati6511]

holy shit that's awesome man. great job.

[@violante1421]

I'd personally recommend the Stevens grip over the others; I've used it for all four mallet playing over the last few years, and I've tried the cross-grip ones, but Stevens has worked the best for me. It's also good because with the others, a finger has to be repositioned on the stick for interval manipulation, whereas on Stevens it's just the flexing of muscles in the fingers, allowing for much faster interval changes; it also just seems more efficient than any others overall.

[@ethanmacgowan5585]

Robbie Violante this is true, but I find that playing something like vibraphone, steven’s grip gets a little hairy with some of the chord shapes. Overall though I prefer steven’s

[@christopherkemsley4758]

@@ethanmacgowan5585 In the end, the best grip is the grip that lets you play the best... For example, I find the traditional grip to fit my and my hands the best, even on the Marimba.

[@riverholschen1075]

Today I learned I've been playing with an incorrect Stevens grip. Whoops.

[@TrueBlueTitanz]

Are you ever going to go over any six mallet grips? There are numerous piano covers that I would like to transpose, but I need that extra mallet or two. I understand that it is not the most practical grip, but it can still be useful. When four mallets were first introduced, it was not considered practical, but we found great uses for it. The same could be done with six.

[@kristindavis5667]

i am a new marimba player and was curious as how to correctly hold two mallets in one hand. this video will definitely be of use sometime in the near future. thank you. ^-^

[@chloedupras8522]

Phandom?

[@kristindavis5667]

Chloe Dupras yes i'm a part of the Phandom

[@chloedupras8522]

+Kristin Davis Ayy lmao hello fellow phan, I also play very FUN instruments like xylophone and vibes (i've never played a marimba before)

[@kristindavis5667]

+Chloe Dupras I play those too and marimba isn't much different ^-^

[@chloedupras8522]

+Kristin Davis It's just bigger but since they're so expensive i don't have any of them. I play at school but want to buy either vibes or a xylo sometime

[@oxytheengineer]

Thank you so much for this video i was kind of last minute practicing this summer and forgot how to play wrist strokes with two mallets in each hand.

[@wadoryu2u]

Im a soon to be highschool senior who just began 4 mallets a couple months ago using the Stevens grip. I've never tried another 4 mallet grip so of course i would think that the Stevens grip is the best. to the best of my knowledge the Stevens grip just seems to be the most widely accepted/taught at colleges and used in orchestras etc.

[@Marimbalogy]

@maxitrillion13 Hey there! I wouldn't really call it "my way" I just do what the stevens book says to do :) I used to do the way you described but on larger marimbas it makes a big difference, especially when you start using your pinky and ring finger to extend the interval as well. Personally I've found that going to the base of the middle finger allows me to get 1 interval larger and takes away strain from the smaller fingers. Thanks for watching!

[@gabumonboys]

Is the Stevens grip supposed to hurt your fingers or is that because I have bony fingers?

[@Marimbalogy]

It does typically hurt in the beginning stages. I would suggest light mallets like the LS15L Model from Malletech. Some people wrap their mallets with things like pencil grips, but I wouldn't recommend this unless it was a last resort.

[@gabumonboys]

Marimbalogy Thanks, my teacher just showed me how to use the Stevens grip but he didn't mention any discomfort.

[@gabumonboys]

Jeffrey Brent Thanks :)

[@tanner1548]

Just so it's out on the internet when other people come across this, I've used athletic tape on my middle fingers before while playing four mallets to keep from getting blistered too bad.

[@Marimbalogy]

@vampiracy I 100% agree. I actually mentioned that in the intro to 4 mallet grips episode! Gordon's Bicycle will probably never happen well with burton grip. You just can't get strong laterals at the interval of a 2nd unless you have one mallet on the top part of the bar and one toward the bottom, but that isn't always possible!

[@Marimbalogy]

Once again, it depends on a number of factors. If you don't want to put a lot of time in, burton is easier to learn quickly. Otherwise I'd pick based on what style of music you want to play!

[@anjagoller]

@John: It is more natural

[@filippoorologio6777]

Being a Jazz Vibraphonist, i found Burtons grip to be very useful when soloing, and wanting to play chords at the same time.

[@Marimbalogy]

@drumkiter I have the super sexy "Vic Firth Concert Keyboard Mallet bag" you can get it online for around 60ish bucks. It's super nice, built like a tank, mounts to the marimba and travels well. There is also a felt piece that swings over your mallets heads when you close it up so they don't rub against each other!

[@brandonronkartz6431]

One question though, would it be acceptable to mainly use the two inner mallets and use the outer mallets for far away notes and things like arpeggios?

[@Marimbalogy]

Hey there! A picture could be helpful, but I think I see what you mean. Make sure that the thumb and index finger are on opposed sides of the shaft (instead of sticking out the thumb up the shaft) The wrist turn should provide most of the momentum!

[@Andy251153]

I was wondering how you can play fast with the stevens grip. I'm in my high schools indoor drum line and I always suffer in playing quickly especially with my inside mallets. Any suggestions?

[@abay8837]

PhazonArcanine4 Remember that when you use any of these grips to twist your wrist as if you were opening a door. If you practice this enough then you can get faster at doing rolls with mallets 2 and 3, which is basically your speed. Practicing this also helps you get better at one hand rolls (rolls with mallets 1 and 2 or mallets 3 and 4), too.

[@Marimbalogy]

If you look at some WGI and DCI videos, you can see that it's quite possible to go blazing fast! It just takes time and good technique. Use a met and work up to it slowly!

[@ThGtKpr]

There are so many new grips being invented now. I’ve seen people use the fulcrum grip, the Mixed grip, etc.

[@alxjones]

I think in the ease of learning category, it's important to note that it is very difficult to learn the techniques that the grip is not strong in, such as single hand rolls and double laterals. So while it is easier to learn this grip at the basic level than Stevens or Traditional, to master the technique completely is considerably more difficult than the others.

[@otiskopec6017]

which would you recomend for a beginner?

[@Marimbalogy]

@sirmonkeyalot7 I have many different kinds :) My default mallets are the IP 275's for stevens grip (with the harder and softer versions mixed in), NJZ purples for burton grip, and Stevens mallets for classical stuff.

[@irinaladik3435]

You are great! My teacher says that I will learn how to play with 4 mallets next week. I am so excited. I hope I will be able to play like you. But I have a question: is it necessary to learn all the grips and which one would you recommend? Thank you Also, does it make any difference for vibraphone?

[@Marimbalogy]

Hello! Welcome to the journey! Most people are more comfortable with Burton Grip on vibes, but it's not a necessity. There are really talented players on every mallet instrument who use many different types of grips. If you're in a marching band and the teacher wants all the students to be uniform, they may want you to use a particular grip to match everyone else!

[@irinaladik3435]

@@Marimbalogy thank you! After almost 4 years of journey, I have a trouble with my left hand. It is too slow. And if I try to play faster, my wrist gets clamped and hurts later. My teacher says that I have to loosen my wrist and the speed will come later. But I wonder maybe there are exercises to help with this problem. Thank you for advice!

[@Marimbalogy]

@@irinaladik3435 I tend to work with big slow motions and gradually speed it up with a metronome. That said, not every grip is cut out for everyone. Have you tried a different one to see if it suits you better?

[@irinaladik3435]

@@Marimbalogy Good day .... (don't know your name, sorry)! I didn't try other grips, because my teachers do not seem to appreciate other grips than Stevens. But in any case I do not think that this can be solved with othzr grips. Because even if I play bongo's or conga's, my left hand seems too slow.

[@ethanmacgowan5585]

Alternatively for a bigger interval with Steven’s is like a “cheating” method. Instead of bringing the inside mallet upon between the pointer and middle for support against the thumb, you can lock it in place by bringing the thumb up in between the mallets, having it rest above your middle and pointer finger. This way your gripping with the pointer and middle while the thumb keeps the mallets from shrinking and contracting the interval.

[@Marimbalogy]

Well it really depends on a number of factors, mostly, what kind of music you're interested in playing (most of Kevin Bobo's stuff is almost impossible with burton grip. Many japanese pieces are very hard with stevens grip)

[@Marimbalogy]

@wadoryu2u Well it's the most popular in the US. But most college professors I know don't really care what grip a student uses if they use it well. Alan Abel uses traditional grip and most college profs would shun students doing the same, but if they came in playing like Alan then they wouldn't care.

[@carsonstephens2508]

Is it okay to use 2 different grips? I use traditional cross for my right hand and burton for my left hand

[@Marimbalogy]

+Carson Stephens if you practice enough, you will be able to play most things anyone else can. But you also risk a lot of ridicule and judgement for doing so. Unless there is a really good physiological reason, I would use the same grip.

[@Prankster5000]

for the stevens grip your pointer finger should be farther up the mallet shaft than your thumb

[@marcuschamberlain2970]

I am a beginning percussionist and I just got a song that had triads with notes on the sharp/flat keys and on the natural keys. Any tips on how I should move the mallets?

[@Marimbalogy]

Which grip are you using? With Stevens Grip you need to move your elbows a bit more than the other grips. For example, if I'm doing a G and a Bb with my right hand, your right elbow will be sticking out quite a bit in comparison to burton grip. However if you're doing an F# and an A with the right hand, with burton grip your wrist will be much farther turned in than stevens. So it kinda depends!

[@marcuschamberlain2970]

Thank you! that really helps! It's a little awkward, but I will keep practicing.

[@isabellaeasow9614]

Hello I'm gonna start learning marimba in band this school year, but I'm staying home for online learning but I have a bell kit so how can I learn the marimba at home

[@isaacerrypagogo98]

This has helped me a lot! I am auditioning this August and was hoping to learn a four mallet piece to help. May I ask for your personal opinion on which grip you think is the easiest? This is probably a silly question seeing as everyone has different preferences but I'm just curious anyway. Thank you so much :)

[@Marimbalogy]

+Isaac Glover I think burton is probably the easiest to learn at first, but gets much more difficult to use for advanced literature. Stevens is hard to learn at first, but once mastered it handles tougher stuff a little better.

[@thegreenmanalishiyamadori371]

It depends in the style you play and Vibes vs Marimba... Jazz in Vibes I use Garys grip to play runs between Chords STEVENS is better in Marimba lateral Roll tunes... Years ago I come to See Burton live and asked for an Autogram ... He gave me but I See how surprised he was A very down to earth guy👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 I am a big fan and Love to play: Ladys in Mercedes ...

[@llopezfamily]

Out of all the grips which one do you think is the best?

[@Marimbalogy]

Nope! The reason why many players use mallets 2 and 4 is because in jazz vibes typically the melody is being played really high up and then chords are being played low, so using mallet 4 instead of 3 usually means they can move a shorter distance to the chords. Gary Burton even used mallet 3 to do dampening! Crazy stuff. Anyhow I have many students use 2 and 3 for runs and it works out well for them.

[@addsum]

I far more prefer the traditional cross grip over any of the others and have been playing that way for over 40 years. It is to me far more natural and has many advantages. Beginners moving from two mallets to four mallets should at least try it, and then experiment from there.

[@benchinho]

Hi. Thx for the videos. Could you explain to me why Gary Burton always seems to use the inside mallet of the left hand and the outside mallet of his right hand for fast runs??

[@Marimbalogy]

Sure! Typically he is hitting chords in between the melody notes. There is less shifting from left to right if he uses the outside mallet to do the runs.

[@Marimbalogy]

@David0794 Thanks! More fun on the way. I'm working on a burton grip video now!

[@raquelvasquez5152]

Is it possible to play an octave higher with 1 hand? Is it possible to reach the 2 notes?

[@Marimbalogy]

Do you mean more than one octave? Sure. At the top of the keyboard you can probably get a 15th.

[@snamot]

If you label the mallets 1-2-3-4 from left to right, is it incorrect to use mallet number 3 by itself when using burtons grip?

[@MultiPauken]

I like to play marimba using Stevens's grip and Burton's grip on vibraphone!

[@fardingandpooping4005]

Just a tip Burtons is mostly a Vibraphone grip

[@Marimbalogy]

There are many professional marimba players that use burton grip. Each grip has its strengths and weaknesses. See Pius Cheung, Ney Rosauro, or Bill Morsch for examples of amazing players using Burton Grip (although Ney gave this grip a different name for some reason)

[@KingstonCzajkowski]

@@Marimbalogy woah I didn't know Moersch uses Burton, that's insane

[@amaice]

this is such an old video, but is there anything different for vibraphone?

[@Marimbalogy]

Hey there! Not really. Most of the techniques are the same. People use all sorts of grips on both marimba and vibes, although typically burton is used a lot of vibes.

[@amaice]

Marimbalogy good to know, thanks a lot!

[@justiceadvocate8147]

I like to run videos at night but when you have an introductory jingle that is five times louder than the narration my neighbors get blasted or, alternatively, I have to turn up the volume or not hear the narration. Why not have the video at one basic volume?

[@Marimbalogy]

Hey there! I made this 10 years ago before I started studying audio engineering :) I'm much better about this now :) I can't go back and change previously uploaded videos though!

[@justiceadvocate8147]

@@Marimbalogy No problem your channel is freaking awesome. I was just cranky due to lack of sleep and picked this video to beef. It is a common issue, irksome for me because I like to play educational vids all night and learn-while-sleeping. Due to the above issue, I saved 'rimbology for another time but woke up this morning with a healthy new knowledge of quantum physics, instead. Who knows, might come in handy for my marimba playing...

[@TobiasDettinger]

Why only 720p? I barely can see your hands...

[@Marimbalogy]

Because it was 2010 :) KZbin just got 1080p a few months before this video came out!

[@Marimbalogy]

@THIS7IS7I7SRP Hey there! While Trad is not super popular in the US, many people here do play it. In fact, many people have won the Pasic solo competition using trad grip. If you like it, go for it!

[@tinawerewolfgirl]

I've been using stevens grip, but i ahve a tendency to use my thumb and kinda push the mallet down to do independent strokes, but too much of that really kills my thumb and the area around my thumb, and I was wondering how i can not do that?? Thanks

[@Marimbalogy]

I know a lot of people that use the inner mallets instead of the outer right hand mallet. If it sounds good, do it :) Personally I find I can play runs a little faster using mallets 2 and 4, but that's probably because that's how I learned the grip :)

[@xininu]

love it ! helps me a lot

[@rachelblithe]

Thank you for loading these videos!

[@Vitamin_D_]

This was very helpful, but for some reason I just couldn't get the Steven's grip to look right or work, am I the only one? I also learned that I have been playing with a mix between cross grip and the Burton grip

[@Marimbalogy]

Everyone's hands are different! The cool things, nearly everyone can find a grip that works for them so they can get into making great music!

[@Marimbalogy]

@Nick does Quad drumming Well if you talk to the guys who teach, they will tell you that it doesn't even matter if you play the same grip as everyone else. But in my experience, that isn't actually true. It used to be like 15 years ago. There were some corps that played with all different styles and grips. But the modern scoring system puts a lot of emphasis on visual uniformity instead of sonic uniformity, so that kind of went out the window. Really, the most important quality you can have when auditioning is adaptability and an openness to try new things (and a solid work ethic) That will get you quite far. For example, when I was auditioning, I would run to the lunch line, slam down a PBJ, then get right back to practicing my parts. I wanted to show that I was willing to do whatever it took.

[@Marimbalogy]

@stovsa Yea i figured that stuff out in later episodes. I use a lapel now :)

[@brandonronkartz6431]

Thank you! Burton grip all the way!!!

[@Badumdumcrash]

Remember that anything can be played with any grip if you practice properly!

[@Marimbalogy]

Well, yes and no. There are a very small number of techniques that are nearly impossible with certain grips. But typically the only time you see that is when it's written as an etude. Most music won't contain these things. For example, playing 11th's in the lowest octave of a marimba with burton grip isn't really possible. But you'll see that like .0000001% of the time.

[@Badumdumcrash]

@@Marimbalogy True, super large intervals are an exception, I just left my comment because I used to suspect (as a Burton player) that certain rhythmic one-handed rolls and chromatic passages and certain rotation patterns could only be played really well with Stevens, however seeing many great marimbists play these techniques with all three main grips changed my mind on this, and since then I have become more able to play some of these techniques with Burton myself. It's much rarer to see Stevens grip in certain areas like, for example, Asia and Eastern Europe, but that hasn't stopped these areas from producing massive numbers of great players.

[@aaaltonen3130]

It would have been great if you told about sticks not touching/snapping against each other, when using trad. or burton's grip. Good video anyways. 😊

[@Marimbalogy]

What do you mean? Like how to get them to not click?

[@aaaltonen3130]

If that's the proper term, yes. 😁 I mean the sound that the wooden handles make when they hit each other. 😊

[@Marimbalogy]

@@aaaltonen3130 Well with burton grip, it can click if you're holding them loosely, especially at small intervals. This can be minimized by using a foam mallet wrap around the shafts. For Traditional cross grip, I don't use it, so I'm not sure how much of a problem it is!

[@THIS7IS7I7SRP]

@Marimbalogy thank you so much :D i feel much better now :) i've been working with it and it feels really comfortable, thanks for the awesome video :D

[@w.tibbsclemens636]

What about Ney Rosauro's extended cross grip? It's great and no one ever mentions it

[@Marimbalogy]

Hi there! No one mentions it because it’s the same as Burton grip. He opens up his fingers a little like a lot of burton players do and he uses a little more finger spreading at large intervals, but it’s the same grip. I’m not sure why he insists on calling it a different name

[@w.tibbsclemens636]

@@Marimbalogy yeah but alot of beginning marimba/vibe students don't know about the benefit of raising the middle finger sofrom an educational perspective it should be worth mentioning

[@Marimbalogy]

@drumkiter I could try to fit it in :) I'll probably crank another vid out in the next 7 days or so :)

[@THIS7IS7I7SRP]

I have a question :O So i really like the traditional cross-grip, is it bad if i use it at my school, since you say not many Americans use it :/ I don't wanna be an oddball -_I

[@KingstonCzajkowski]

No, there's nothing wrong with that.

[@jonahgarcia5733]

Can you give me tips on how to control the outside mallets? I always have to rest my hand on the marimba while using outside mallets and I know know how to control them well

[@Marimbalogy]

The outside ones are tricky. One training technique is put two mallets in one hand, and nothing in the other hand. Then with your free hand, Hold the inside mallet head of the other hand and keep it in place. Then slowly practice your outside mallet stroke. Also, your fingers need to be fairly tight on the outside mallet (i'm assuming stevens grip)

[@jonahgarcia5733]

Marimbalogy thank you

[@deejayspartan101]

i did this exact hand placing when i started the rain dance solo i find it cool i did it right lol

[@Marimbalogy]

@shavethebravedave Check out my stevens grip video for more. But basically the thumb and index finger ROLL the mallet out to position.

[@aspirativemusicproduction2135]

Last one comes most natural to me but I am just starting.

[@amardhillon4938]

I like the burton grip

[@Tevatron044]

Could this technique be used on chimes (tubular bells)?

[@Marimbalogy]

+Tevatron044 If you have fingers of steel maybe.....

[@Tevatron044]

Marimbalogy lol, damn, that would've been cool.

[@ChrisM-dx8up]

If you're able to make yourself a special type of mallet just maybe

[@thatfishguy4991]

Tevatron044 probably, but your fingers would need to be insanely large and wide and you'd need to be able to balance the mallets, especially when holding it above your body like you do on chimes.

[@10Raccoon]

I actually did this once in high school because I had to play some other stuff with the other hand. it takes a little bit to get used to trying to juggle it, but it can be done.

[@Jdtudino]

Ahaaaa Daft Punk intro :D

[@Marimbalogy]

@drumkiter Nope!

[@gavinglover-composer993]

great video man! I was taught a modified version of stevens and musser. I hope you like the video response :)

[@LightningManism]

Traditional cross is easier to learn but I find that it makes playing VERY sloppy.

[@justi535]

Thanks for making this video! I really needed it! Subbing also!

[@David0794]

very helpful. thanks a lot!

[@Capcoor]

Did you get the e-mail I sent you?

[@Marimbalogy]

I just looked and I don't see one. What is the email address?

[@kenjikanno1857]

thanks for sharing

[@brandonrodriguez2660]

I use a different technic

[@allenkyonosukecruz7567]

i only knkw 2 grips...idk the others

[@simplyvibinn5417]

Very helpful

[@otiskopec6017]

cool thanks

[@allenkyonosukecruz7567]

i only know buton and Stevens

[@Marimbalogy]

+SHIFdoomSHIFbob 12 either one is good and will take you most of the places that you want to go!

[@stovsa]

Argh voice too soft, marimba too loud in second half!!

[@hanj31]

Best exercise is chopsticks one hand two mallets

[@pacz8114]

Very informative, but, man, how about some decent music for your intro? (I nearly 86'd this thing based on the repugnant opener thank god it ended after 10 seconds).

[@Marimbalogy]

Dude, it's 2010 youtube :) I stopped using that intro like 7 years ago. (also Daft Punk is amazing :) )

[@pacz8114]

@@Marimbalogy Whatever it is it's garbage, "dude". How about some Bobby Hutcherson?