Stevens technique is a method of playing keyboard percussion instruments with four mallets – two in each hand. It was developed by marimbist Leigh Howard Stevens during his studies at the Eastman School of Music in the 1970s, and codified in his 1979 book The Method of Movement for Marimba. The term Tuned percussion refers to any number of percussion instruments that are tuned to and played in a particular pitch. ... It has been suggested that Balafon be merged into this article or section. ... Leigh Howard Stevens is a marimba artist responsible for developing, codifying, and evangelizing particular technical methods used mainly in the United States. ... The Eastman School of Music is the University of Rochesters college and graduate school of music. ...

The mallets are held hanging loosely, with the two outside mallets gripped with the pinky and ring fingers, and the inside mallets cantilevered between the flesh of the palm at the base of the thumb and the tip of the index finger. To change intervals, the inside mallet only is used. As the interval widens, the mallet rolls between the thumb and index finger such that the index finger moves from underneath to the side of the shaft, and the ring finger becomes the fulcrum of the cantilever. When properly used, this grip causes no tension on the hand muscles. The cantilevered beam (green) projects out into space from its supports (blue). ... In music theory, an interval is the relationship between two notes or pitches, the lower and higher members of the interval. ...

The piston stroke is another essential component of Stevens technique. With this stroke, the mallets start in the up position, strike the bars, then return to the up position. The mallets are propelled completely by the wrist, and there is no prep stroke.

Single independent strokes are used to strike using only one of the four mallets. The mallet is propelled with a doorknob-like rotation of the wrist.

External links

• Vic Firth Mallet Course