Bacchette di legno

As Printed on a Score

Printed over a timpani or percussion part where the player changes to wooden sticks; the choice lasts until another stick type is named. Allow a rest for the change.

Abbreviations: bacch. di legno

How Composers Use It

Wooden sticks give a hard, dry, very articulate attack with little resonance — on timpani, sharp rhythms with a Baroque brilliance; on cymbals or drums, a bright click. Choose them for precision rather than warmth, and name the return to normal sticks explicitly so the player does not stay on wood.

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