Sticks

As Printed on a Score

Printed over percussion parts (sticks, with sticks, wooden sticks, felt sticks) to name the beater, usually during the rests before the passage it affects; it holds until another beater is named.

How Composers Use It

Beater choice is a primary orchestration decision in percussion: hard sticks for clarity, soft ones for warmth. On a suspended cymbal, sticks give a brighter attack than soft mallets. Name a specific type whenever the colour matters, and allow time to change, since percussionists often move between instruments.

Example

Holst, The Planets, “Neptune, the Mystic”, timpani 1: “Wooden sticks.” at m. 35, “felt sticks” at m. 48, and “Wooden sticks.” again at m. 85.

Related Terms