Felt Timpani Drum Mallets, Pair

Felt-headed mallets draw a rounder, less percussive tone out of a drum than wooden sticks do, which is precisely what timpani and bass drum parts usually call for. Rather than a hard crack at the moment of contact, you get the note itself with the attack softened, letting the drum's pitch and sustain come through clearly instead of being buried under the sound of the stick.

The heads are wrapped felt over a firm inner core, and that construction matters: too soft and you get a dull thud with no definition, too hard and you may as well use a stick. This pairing produces a defined note with a warm envelope. The solid wood handles are turned to a comfortable taper that stays put through a long passage without needing to be regripped, and they are sold as a matched pair so both hands behave identically.

They suit orchestral and concert band players, drum kit players reaching for cymbal swells and tom colour, and anyone working with hand percussion who wants a warmer sound than sticks can provide. Store them head-up to avoid flattening the felt over time.

• Felt-wrapped heads
• Solid wood handles
• Supplied as a matched pair
• Suits timpani, bass and snare drum