Mallets

Tubular bells are struck with hammer-like mallets. Three degrees of hardness are usual: soft, medium and hard. The heads are made of wood, plywood or plastic. Depending on the hardness they are covered with either leather or felt.

Shaft length: approx. 30 cm.
The head is hammer-shaped; it is 3.6–4.2 cm thick and about 11 cm long.

Metal hammers are used to produce a particularly hard sound, although there is a danger that they will damage the tubes.

For other special effects vibraphone mallets (for rolls) or glockenspiel mallets (for a slender sound) are used.