Percussion – Equipment Needs
Everyone Needs to Have …
- A stick bag or box
May be commercially made or creatively homemade. - One pair of medium weight snare drum sticks
Not thin jazz or rock sticks and not heavy marching sticks. - One pair of xylophone mallets
Medium rubber, plus one pair of medium (blue) yarn mallets. These are especially good for suspended cymbal rolls and marimba work. - One pair of medium weight timpani mallets
Example: Vic Firth T1 generals - One drum key
- One pencil in your bag
Stop by the sign-in table for a free SVNHM pencil! - Practice pad
You need one, though it won’t fit in your stick bag.
Choosing the Right Sticks & Mallets
Snare Drum Sticks
Start with a medium weight snare drum stick. Here are some common options:
- Vic Firth 5B
Thinner shaft - Vic Firth Slammers SD11
Diane’s fav because the larger shaft works well for her larger hands while still having a smaller, teardrop bead. - Vic Firth SD1
Larger shaft - Other equivalent sticks
Both Dan & Diane prefer the Vic Firth sticks, but there are others out there that are worth looking at.
A few other things to consider:
- Small hands? You might prefer the Vic Firth 7A American Classic
This is also a good choice for jazz drum set work, but is not a good choice for general band work unless you have small hands.
- Arthritis in your hands? You will want a stick with a larger circumference; the Vic Firth Slammers SD11 might work, or the Vic Firth STF.
Both of these are larger grip sticks, but have a small, tapered bead.
For additional guidance on selecting snare drum sticks, see the Vic Firth website … or of course, Ask Dan!
If You Play Mostly Snare Drum …
You should also have:
- A pair of standard retractable wire brushes – wire, not the special effect plastic or wood; Regal Tip brushes are a good choice
- A pair of thinner, jazz style sticks
- A pair of snare sticks with a wound yarn mallet head on the other end (optional)
- Other “toys” for the music you are playing.
If You Play Mostly Mallet Percussion …
You should also have:
- Yarn mallets so that you have a hard, a medium and a soft head pair
- Hard plastic mallets for bells (ex: Vic Firth M140)
- Hard rubber mallets for xylophone (ex: Vic Firth M132)
- Vibe mallets (optional)
- Snare sticks (see above)
If You Want To Go Further …
You could add:
- A selection of triangle beaters (3 different sizes are good)
- A good quality tambourine (with a head – don’t purchase a plastic headless, or a tambourine without a head – those are not Concert Band quality) Grover tambourines are excellent with a great sound; they are not cheap, but worth it in sound!
- If you play a lot of rock stuff on your own, get a good quality headless tambourine
Put Your Name On Everything!
Now, you’ve put a chunk of money into these sticks and mallets, MARK THEM so that you know which are yours!
Your name with a permanent marker is good, or some kind of colored tape (don’t use yellow – we mark anything belonging to SVNHB is with yellow), or some combination of strips of tapes around the butt end.
Don’t put marker or tape where your hands rest (tape is uncomfortable under your hands and marker wears off).
Some people find marks near the tips to be distracting, so put your mark on the butt end.
Likewise – Name and phone number on your stick bag, please!
Do I Really Need a Stick Bag For My Mallets?
Short answer: YES!
Why?
- You will always have the mallets you need and not be hunting to see where the students left them
- You will have mallets that are in good condition
- When you come to rehearsal or a concert, you will have what you need
- It looks cool and professional!
The red stick bag is homemade; the black is purchased.
Notice the wire brushes on the right-hand stand and the double-ended sticks on the left-hand stand.
Where to Shop
It is always good to try things in person to check the feel of the sticks or how the instrument plays, so local stores are a good place to start.
Online stores are also great if you know exactly what you want.