Allow Me To Reintroduce Myself - The Boyar Method For 6 Mallets

"Allow Me To Reintroduce Myself." Jay-Z

Introduction

Throughout this series, I will attempt to examine and explain my method of playing with 6 mallets. A lot of excellent work has been done on this subject. My intention is not to claim credit for or replace anyone's work. Rather, I only seek to explain my personal system so that others may benefit from it. For me, the development of my 6 mallet method was musically driven. My music began to demand the use of extra voices and musical ideas and thus, my 6 mallet approach was born.

Paying Homage

As pointed out in the introduction, I am well aware that I am FAR from the first person to develop a 6 mallet technique. Keiko Abe used it throughout her compositions. Great marimba virtuosi such as Ludwig Albert and Pei Ching Wu have been using it for years. The technique has been codified and explored throughly by Dean Gronemeier, Kai Stensgaard, Robert Paterson, and Joe Porter. Other excellent contributions have been made by Rebecca Kite and Jane Boxall.

I developed my grip and method on my own through trial and error along with years of performing in a wide variety of situations as a working musician. I didn't study 6 mallets with anyone and I don't have any fancy degrees. In fact, I don't even have a master's degree.

Throughout the development of my method I took some time to study other methods. Out of all these excellent player's grips mine is definitely most similar to both Dean Gronemeier's and Kai Stensgaard's approach. I admire the work of these fine musicians. With that said, we all play quite differently and we absolutely have different perceptions and ways of explaining things. Ultimately, my approach is my own and as we explore my method the differences between mine and other methods (no matter how initially similar they may appear) will become clear. 

With all of that said, surprisingly the two largest influences of my work are not 6 mallet players. They are without a doubt Gary Burton and Leigh Howard Stevens. Leigh's Method of Movement and his system are the foundation for my method. I view my method as building on his and without Leigh's foundation the "system of grace" in my method would not be possible. As for Burton, I use the Burton cross grip (my first grip) to essentially build a "new wing" onto my hands. This is similar to the process described by Dean Gronemeier.

Therefore, I will not present my method as a revolution unto itself. Rather, it is an evolutionary system which I use to teach, perform, and create music with 6 mallets. My system needed a name and I named it "The Boyar Method."

My "Grip" History

I originally learned to play the marimba using a modified Burton Grip in which one holds the handle at the ends of the shafts. This grip was taught to me by William Moersch during several lessons at Rutgers University when I was still in high school. It was an excellent grip but regardless, I then switched to Stevens one year later. I simply felt there was more available information on the subject and I've always been a sucker for pedagogy. I was able to teach myself Stevens grip by using his seminal book The Method of Movement. Later, Greg Giannasoli would show me how to use the grip to achieve a large amount of power. Lack of power is something that is unfortunately often falsely sighted as the primary weakness of Stevens grip. I've been using Steven's method for almost 20 years and "lack of power" has definitely proved to be a false chink in the armor.

I never played with Traditional Grip although some of my favorite players growing up like Keiko Abe and Nancy Zeltsman used it. As a student, perhaps the greatest inspiration for me was Gordon Stout (I wouldn't be playing the marimba today if it weren't for his recordings) and he has his own cross grip.

A Stevens/Musser Foundation

My version of 6 mallets is rooted in Stevens grip. I use Stevens for almost everything so when some of my music started to demand the use of 6 mallets, I developed a method through Stevens. However, the truth is I don't think it matters what grip one uses. When a student comes to me using a different grip than mine, I rarely change it unless there are deep rooted issues that need addressing. All grips have their strengths and weaknesses and they are all useful. Any great artist will eventually surpass "grip" in their playing. It just doesn't matter anymore at a certain level. However, my 6 mallet method is based on Stevens grip and therefore, The Boyar Method will probably be most relevant to those who use Stevens/Musser.

With Inspiration from Gronemeier, Boyar Peace Summit Leads to Stevens and Burton Joining Forces - A New Alliance is Born! 

My 6 mallet grip is a combination of the two grips I am most familiar with. Stevens is still the absolute base. Much of the foundation that makes Steven's "Steven's" is firmly in place. Burton is then added to Stevens to create a new system. When trying to develop a method of playing 6 mallets, I found that a cross grip with it's "mallet interdependence" is extremely useful since there simply aren't enough fingers left to create a true 3rd "independent mallet." However, ironically with the application of Burton grip overlapping Stevens, having 3 truly independent mallets becomes entirely possible. For those of us who have studied 6 mallet technique before, this process is similar to the one described by Dean Gronemeier. However, my method brings some new ideas to the table that I believe have the potential to change 6 mallet playing from a mere extended and specialized technique to an evolutionary technique.