Empire Music · Classroom reference
Orff & Percussion
Mallet Guide
The firmness and head material of each mallet makes a difference.
Download PDFThe firmness scale
Every mallet is plotted on the same seven-step scale, so brands can be compared directly.
Grades are relative to the instrument. A soft glockenspiel mallet is still a firm little rubber head. Compare firmness within a family, and use the head material across families: wood is hardest, then plastic, then rubber, with wound, felt and foam at the soft end.
Extra-soft
Soft
Medium-soft
Medium
Medium-hard
Hard
Extra-hard
Glockenspiel & Bells
EMUS Soft Rubber Mallets M11
Soft
- Head
- Rubber
- Fits
- Alto resonator bells and melody bell sets
- Sold as
- Pair
EMUS Hard Rubber Mallets M12
Hard
- Head
- Rubber
- Fits
- Soprano resonator bells and melody bell sets
- Sold as
- Pair
GMP Xylophone/Bell Mallets, Extra-Hard, Yellow MAL-XM4-Y
Extra-hard
- Head
- Yellow plastic
- Fits
- Soprano glockenspiel
- Sold as
- Pair
GMP Xylophone/Bell Mallets, Hard, Grey MAL-XM12-GY
Hard
- Head
- Grey rubber
- Fits
- Soprano and alto glockenspiel
- Sold as
- Pair
GMP Xylophone/Bell Mallets, Medium, Green MAL-XM14-GN
Medium
- Head
- Green rubber
- Fits
- Soprano and alto glockenspiel
- Sold as
- Pair
KINDERMALLETS Glockenspiel Mallets KG2
Medium
- Head
- Medium wood
- Fits
- Soprano and alto glockenspiel
- Sold as
- Pair
KINDERMALLETS Glockenspiel Mallets, Double-Headed KG4
Extra-hardwood end
Hardplastic end
- Head
- Wood one end, hard plastic the other
- Fits
- Soprano and alto glockenspiel
- Sold as
- Pair
SUZUKI Glockenspiel Mallets, Double-Headed SM43
Extra-hardwood end
Hardrubber end
- Head
- Double-headed, hard rubber and wood
- Fits
- Suzuki soprano and alto glockenspiel
- Sold as
- Pair
SUZUKI Glockenspiel and Resonator Bell Mallets, Double-Headed SM48
Hardhard head
Medium-hardmedium head
- Head
- Double-headed rubber, one hard head and one medium
- Fits
- Glockenspiel and resonator bells
- Sold as
- Pair
Xylophone
GMP Marimba Mallets MAL-MM6
Extra-soft
- Head
- Yarn-wound over a rubber core, dark blue
- Fits
- Marimba, bass xylophone, vibraphone, cymbal rolls
- Sold as
- Pair
GMP Marimba Mallets MAL-MM7
Soft
- Head
- Yarn-wound over a rubber core, light blue
- Fits
- Marimba, bass xylophone, vibraphone
- Sold as
- Pair
GMP Marimba Mallets MAL-MM8
Medium
- Head
- Yarn-wound over a rubber core, red
- Fits
- Marimba, bass xylophone, vibraphone
- Sold as
- Pair
GMP Xylophone Mallets, Extra-Soft, Black MAL-XM1-BK
Extra-soft
- Head
- Black rubber
- Fits
- Xylophone
- Sold as
- Pair
GMP Xylophone/Bell Mallets, Soft, Brown MAL-XM15-BR
Soft
- Head
- Brown rubber
- Fits
- Soprano, alto and bass xylophone, classroom bells
- Sold as
- Pair
KINDERMALLETS Bass Xylophone Mallets BX1
Soft
- Head
- Yarn-wrapped over a rubber core, yellow
- Fits
- Bass xylophone
- Sold as
- Pair
KINDERMALLETS Bass Xylophone Mallets BX2
Medium
- Head
- Yarn-wrapped over a rubber core, blue
- Fits
- Bass xylophone
- Sold as
- Pair
KINDERMALLETS Felt Mallets for Xylophone & Metallophone KF1
Medium
- Head
- Ball-shaped felt
- Fits
- Xylophone, metallophone and accessory percussion
- Sold as
- Pair
KINDERMALLETS Rubber Mallets KR1
Soft
- Head
- Yellow rubber
- Fits
- Alto xylophone and metallophone
- Sold as
- Pair
KINDERMALLETS Rubber Mallets KR2
Medium
- Head
- Blue rubber
- Fits
- Soprano and alto xylophone and metallophone
- Sold as
- Pair
KINDERMALLETS Rubber Mallets KR3
Hard
- Head
- Red rubber
- Fits
- Soprano xylophone and metallophone
- Sold as
- Pair
KINDERMALLETS Yarn Xylophone Mallets KX1
Soft
- Head
- Yarn-wrapped over a rubber core, yellow
- Fits
- Alto xylophone
- Sold as
- Pair
KINDERMALLETS Yarn Xylophone Mallets KX2
Medium
- Head
- Yarn-wrapped over a rubber core, blue
- Fits
- Soprano and alto xylophone
- Sold as
- Pair
KINDERMALLETS Yarn Xylophone Mallets KX3
Hard
- Head
- Yarn-wrapped over a rubber core, red
- Fits
- Soprano xylophone
- Sold as
- Pair
SUZUKI Mallets for Soprano Orff Instruments MAL-1
Hard
- Head
- Yarn-wound, maple handle
- Fits
- Soprano xylophone and metallophone
- Sold as
- Pair
SUZUKI Mallets for Alto Orff Instruments MAL-2
Medium-hard
- Head
- Yarn-wound, maple handle
- Fits
- Alto xylophone and metallophone
- Sold as
- Pair
SUZUKI Mallets for Bass Orff Instruments MAL-3
Soft
- Head
- Yarn-wound, maple handle
- Fits
- Bass xylophone and metallophone
- Sold as
- Pair
Metallophone
EMUS Mallets for Bass Instruments EBM
Soft
- Head
- Multicoloured rubber
- Fits
- Bass Orff instruments
- Sold as
- Pair
EMUS Mallets for Soprano Instruments ESM
Medium-hard
- Head
- Yarn-covered
- Fits
- Soprano Orff instruments
- Sold as
- Pair
KINDERMALLETS Bass Metallophone Mallets BM1
Soft
- Head
- Cord-wrapped over a rubber core, yellow
- Fits
- Bass metallophone
- Sold as
- Pair
KINDERMALLETS Bass Metallophone Mallets BM2
Medium
- Head
- Cord-wrapped over a rubber core, blue
- Fits
- Bass metallophone
- Sold as
- Pair
KINDERMALLETS Metallophone Mallets KM1
Soft
- Head
- Cord-wound over a rubber core
- Fits
- Alto and bass metallophone
- Sold as
- Pair
KINDERMALLETS Metallophone Mallets KM2
Medium-hard
- Head
- Cord-wound over a rubber core
- Fits
- Soprano, alto and bass metallophone
- Sold as
- Pair
KINDERMALLETS Metallophone Mallets KM3
Hard
- Head
- Cord-wound over a rubber core
- Fits
- Soprano and alto metallophone
- Sold as
- Pair
Contrabass & Bass Bars
EMUS Contra-Bass Mallet EM90
Soft
- Head
- Soft fuzzy covering
- Fits
- Bass and contrabass bars
- Sold as
- Sold individually
13.5″ (34.3 cm) long, 2.5″ (6.4 cm) head.
KINDERMALLETS Contra-Bass Mallet CB1
Soft
- Head
- Full-size yarn-wrapped, yellow
- Fits
- Subcontra bass bars
- Sold as
- Sold individually
KINDERMALLETS Contra-Bass Mallet CB2
Medium-soft
- Head
- Full-size yarn-wrapped, blue
- Fits
- Contrabass bars
- Sold as
- Sold individually
KINDERMALLETS Contra-Bass Mallet CB3
Medium
- Head
- Yarn-wrapped, 13″ (33.0 cm) birch shaft
- Fits
- Contrabass bars
- Sold as
- Sold individually
A lighter build than CB1 and CB2: 13″ (33.0 cm) birch shaft rather than full size.
SUZUKI Contra-Bass Mallet SM60
Soft
- Head
- Soft fuzzy covering
- Fits
- Bass and contrabass bars
- Sold as
- Sold individually
Timpani & Toms
GMP Drumstick/Mallet MAL-FC1
Medium/General
- Head
- Felt one end, 5A maple drumstick the other
- Fits
- Timpani and kit, doubling in one stick
- Sold as
- Pair
GMP General Timpani Mallets MAL-FT9
Medium/General
- Head
- Felt
- Fits
- Timpani, tubano and djembe
- Sold as
- Pair
Hand, Frame & Gathering Drums
REMO Mallet, 10″ (25.4 cm) M70
Medium-hard
- Head
- Felt-wrapped head, plastic shaft
- Fits
- Buffalo, hand and gathering drums
- Sold as
- Sold individually
REMO Wooden Mallet, 12″ (30.5 cm) M1208
Soft
- Head
- Foam head, soft black cover, wood handle
- Fits
- Gathering, buffalo and paddle drums, kids floor toms, ocean drums
- Sold as
- Sold individually
REMO Wooden Mallet, 16″ (40.6 cm) M1210
Soft
- Head
- Foam head, soft black cover, wood handle
- Fits
- Gathering, buffalo and paddle drums, frame drums
- Sold as
- Sold individually
REMO Lollipop Mallet, 10″ (25.4 cm) M1224
Medium
- Head
- 36 mm rainbow foam head, white plastic handle
- Fits
- Lollipop drum, hand drums and Sound Shapes
- Sold as
- Sold individually
REMO Lollipop Mallet, 8″ (20.3 cm) M1225
Medium
- Head
- 36 mm rainbow foam head, white plastic handle
- Fits
- Lollipop drum, hand drums and Sound Shapes
- Sold as
- Sold individually
SUZUKI Mallet, Felt Covered Soft Rubber SM47
Soft
- Head
- Felt over soft rubber
- Fits
- Hand drums, gongs and Remo drums
- Sold as
- Sold individually
Wood Blocks & Temple Blocks
EMUS Maple Wood Mallets M10
Extra-hard
- Head
- Maple wood
- Fits
- Wood blocks and rhythm instruments
- Sold as
- Pair
