Rolling

Here are various tips provided by Thomas Burritt and various participants:

1. Start practicing measure 1 chorale by blocking (16th notes or 8th notes seem to be preferred)

2. Progress to alternating hands in 16th note or 32nd note rhythm

3. Progress to varying roll speed to prevent listener from detecting individual stroke patterns

4. Relax hands and keep mallets low to lessen attack

5. Vary type of roll (traditional, ripple, independent)

6. Adjusting angle of mallets and playing area on the bar can also add variation to rolls

6. In rhythmic passages, start rolls with a double stop to keep rhythm clear. In less rhythmic passages (ie. measure 1), roll can be started with alternating strokes

7. Sing melody to help sense the direction of the phrases

8. Mallets can be graduated (softer to harder from left to right) to bring out specific voices