What is the difference between friction mallets and mallets?
If you have already taken a look at our range, you may know that, from a purely visual point of view, the difference between friction mallets and mallets is not always easy to see. In fact, however, they are not only two different tools that are played and used in completely different ways. A friction mallet also differs significantly from a mallet in material and shape.
Let us start with the basics: a friction mallet is used to rub a gong or a singing bowl, a mallet to strike a gong or a singing bowl. Which tones are produced depends on various factors.
Striking a gong or a singing bowl mainly produces deep, low sounds, while rubbing gongs or singing bowls mainly produces higher tones that also last considerably longer thanks to the constant rubbing. Depending on the zone of a gong, for example, where you use the mallet or friction mallet, different sounds and volumes are also produced. The tones at the edge of a gong, for instance, are considerably higher than at its center.
How do gong friction mallets differ from singing bowl friction mallets?
Gong friction mallets and singing bowl friction mallets differ only slightly from each other. Gong friction mallets are usually a little longer than singing bowl friction mallets, as the surface to be played on a gong is also much larger than on a traditional singing bowl. In terms of material, gong friction mallets sometimes differ from singing bowl friction mallets: while gong friction mallets usually have a very soft rubber or natural rubber head, singing bowl friction mallets also come with aluminum heads or, in the form of a wooden friction mallet, are even made entirely of wood. A wooden friction mallet produces a very focused and distinctive tone on a singing bowl that could not be achieved in the same way on a gong.
The classic gong friction mallet also has its special features: there are double-sided gong friction mallets with a natural rubber head of a different size at each end of the handle. This gong friction mallet can be used on both sides and therefore offers a wider range of tones.
There are also friction mallets that are suitable both for playing the gong and for creating sound with singing bowls. These include, for example, the ollihess friction mallets from the Lava Edition, whose head is made of natural rubber and which are available in four different sizes. Depending on the sound instrument used, you can create a wide variety of tones and vibrations with these friction mallets.
How do singing bowl mallets and gong mallets differ?
A singing bowl is usually much more compact and smaller than a classic gong. Even though similar materials and shapes are generally used for both, you use much smaller mallets to create sound on a singing bowl than for playing a gong. This also makes sense for purely practical reasons: producing a tone by striking the gong requires considerably more force. So the longer the handle of the mallet, the more effectively the mallet can be used.
In our shop, you will find a whole range of different mallets specifically for singing bowls, for example felt mallets with a head made of soft felt, slightly harder rubber mallets with a head made of natural rubber, or metal aluminum mallets, which are particularly easy to disinfect.
How are gong friction mallets and singing bowl friction mallets used?
If you want to understand the differences between mallets and friction mallets, you need to look above all at the way they are played. Of course, there are also differences between using them on a gong and on a singing bowl, because a gong is used in a completely different way from a singing bowl.
Playing technique with a gong friction mallet
You rub a gong friction mallet over the gong to create a beautiful, long-lasting sound. You can use the entire surface of the gong for this. The tones created at the edge of the gong differ greatly from the tones that can be produced at its center. But it is not only the different sizes of the friction mallets and the positioning of the instrument that make up an important part of the sound, but also the material and shape of the friction mallet used, and of course the gong itself. There are different types of gongs that can have very different sound spectra.
Playing technique with a singing bowl friction mallet
The singing bowl is mainly designed to be struck with mallets. If you want to produce its characteristic tones with a singing bowl friction mallet, you cannot use the entire singing bowl for this. To make the singing bowl vibrate, you run the friction mallet along the outside of its rim, setting off the vibrations that also produce the tones. Fascinating to observe: the longer you rub, the stronger and more sustained the tone becomes.
How are gong mallets and singing bowl mallets used?
Various factors play a role in producing tones with a mallet. With a singing bowl, how intense and characteristic the sounds are depends on the type of mallet, the playing technique and the shape of the singing bowl. With a gong, besides the playing technique and type of gong, its position in the room also matters. We have summarized the striking techniques for you:
Striking a gong with a gong mallet
The gong mallet should always be in proportion to the size of your gong. How you play the gong always depends on which tones you want to produce. The lowest tones and fundamental tones are produced at the very center of the gong. In direct contrast to this is the edge of the gong, where you can reach the highest possible frequency ranges. Between these two areas, the rest of the gong’s surface offers you a varied spectrum of sound. You can find more information in our article on playing the gong.
Striking a singing bowl with a singing bowl mallet
Playing a singing bowl with a mallet takes much less effort than playing a gong. To produce an intense tone, gently strike the outside of the singing bowl with the singing bowl mallet. The closer to the bottom of the singing bowl you strike, the stronger the tone becomes. When striking the singing bowl, you should also make sure to hit as large an area as possible. So make sure that your mallet hits the outside of the singing bowl as straight as possible.
How you can use the differences between friction mallets and mallets
The fact that friction mallets and mallets are used so differently gives you numerous advantages. If you already have a singing bowl or a gong, you can create fundamentally different tones and sounds with friction mallets and mallets. The different playing techniques keep surprising you again and again. Test your skills with friction mallets and mallets alike to immerse yourself deeply in the world of sound and develop a feel for the individual characteristics of the instruments. This way, you get the most out of your instrument and can fully unleash your creativity.