anyone have any recommendations for some good 2 mallet solos? i think i can play just about anything you give me(2 mallet). also, if anyone knows of any simple 4 mallet solos, i'd appreciate that too. preferably long rolling solos, just for improving grip and technique. thanks

you can order any solos from most of the sites that sell anything that has to do with mallets.

If you really want a difficult 2 mallet solo, I'd try Flight of the Bumblebee.

If you would like to be impressive on two mallets, pick up some George Hamilton Green xylo solos. They are great to listen to and hard to play, but fun as heck!

You can try the "Maple Leaf Rag" by Scott Joplin you can get it in Steven Weiss Music

Tel:(215)659-0100 Fax:(215)659-1170

Furioso and Valse by Hatch. This solos is quite insane, but its great to listen too. Its very visually impressive, and the middle section is amazing. I'd recommend a mallet change inbetween the two.

I "second" the G.H. Green solo suggestion by Big_John. "Triplets" and "Dill Pickles" are 2 of my favorites.

Here's one that doesn't get played too often: Tribecca Sunflower by Julie Spencer.

It's pretty groovy and has a few fast passages. Also, it uses mallets that are kinda like a regular mallets stuffed inside dreadlocks. You can buy them from Mike Balter or just modify some standard mallets with dowels from Home Depot.

Here's another option if you want a real challenge. When Julie was in school, she was getting bored with the standard rep. So she figured on how to play Stout's Two Mexican Dances with two mallets instead of four.

Why not do what we did in college? Pick up some advanced flute and violin books. Those force you to look at all the musical instructions not usually given to percussionists as well as figuring out how to mimic the "special effects" of each instrument. Those are the best learning tools.

Bach's Violin Concerto in A Minor is fairly standard, but not too difficult. Dizzy Fingers can sound very good when played fast. As for four mallet solos, Monograph IV by Richard Gipson has a nice roll section in the middle.