mallet

A device used by a percussion player to strike the instrument. It typically has the appearance of a light hammer with a small, rounded or spherical head used to play certain percussion instruments (marimba, xylophone, orchestra bells, chimes etc.). The head will come in a variety of materials of varying hardness to produce a wide range of timbres on the instrument. Head materials range from soft cloth to yarn to soft or hard rubber to hard wood. The mallets can be broken into four main categories:

• Hammers - Used for the chimes and tubular bells, these are hammer shaped beaters and typically have wooden shafts and heads made of rawhide or plastic. Occasionally, a real hammer is used for unique percussion instruments such as the anvil.
• Wrapped Mallets - Wooden or plastic shaft with a head made of kelon, rubber, acrylic or similar material and wrapped with yarn or cord providing several levels of hard and soft. The wrapped mallets tend to be used on the marimba, vibraphone, timpani , and suspended cymbal.
• Unwrapped Mallets - These are mallets with wooden or plastic shafts and heads made of brass, rubber, acrylic or wood. These are meant for instruments such as the xylophone and glockenspiel with bars made of metal or hard wood.
• Felt Mallets - These mallets have wooden or plastic shafts with several layers of  felt comprising the head. These are used primarily on untuned percussion instruments and timpani .

Also see stick or beater.