Advanced mallet techniques

Advanced mallet techniques are used on only certain chromatic percussion instruments as the marimba and vibraphone. They were created to allow faster trills, more mallets and double stops, and increased dexterity for the player.

Two popular advanced techniques for most instruments are the Steven's grip, and the Burton Grip. The former is for strictly four mallets and makes use of what is called "rotor trills." In these rotor trills, the hand is spun back and forth, creating a circular motion and striking the keys at a very fast rate.