Keiko Abe Signature Models - Overview - Mallets - Products - Percussion - Musical Instruments - Yamaha - Africa / Asia / CIS / Middle East / Oceania

Keiko Abe Signature ModelsKeyboard Mallets

Designed in close collaboration with Keiko Abe, her Signature Series Mallets are designed to draw out the most from both the performer’s technique and tone from the instrument in compositions that require exceptional technique. Ideal for advanced players, these mallets are much heavier than regular mallets. This causes the marimba’s tone bars to resonate fully creating a sound that has been up until now, difficult to obtain.

Lineup

Model	Colored Band	Head				Shaft	Length^*
Model	Colored Band	Material	Hardness	Core Size	Core Feature	Shaft	Length^*
MKA-01	Red	Yarn Wound	Two-tone	Ø 30x23mm	Dual-core with synthetic leather	Rattan	430mm
MKAW-01	Red		Two-tone	Ø 30x23mm	Dual-core with synthetic leather	Birch	430mm
MKA-02	Pink		Very Hard	Ø 30x20mm	with additional weight	Rattan	400mm
MKAW-02	Pink		Very Hard	Ø 30x20mm		Birch	400mm
MKA-03	Orange		Hard	Ø 30x20mm		Rattan	400mm
MKAW-03	Orange		Hard	Ø 30x20mm		Birch	400mm
MKA-04	Yellow		Hard	Ø 30x23mm	Dual-core with rubber tube (1mm)	Rattan	430mm
MKAW-04	Yellow		Hard	Ø 30x23mm		Birch	430mm
MKA-05	Light Green		Medium Hard	Ø 30x23mm		Rattan	430mm
MKAW-05	Light Green		Medium Hard	Ø 30x23mm		Birch	430mm
MKA-06	Green		Medium Soft	Ø 30x23mm		Rattan	430mm
MKAW-06	Green		Medium Soft	Ø 30x23mm		Birch	430mm
MKA-07	Blue		Soft	Ø 30x23mm		Rattan	430mm
MKAW-07	Blue		Soft	Ø 30x23mm		Birch	430mm
MKA-S7	Blue & Light Blue		Very Soft	Ø 30x23mm		Rattan	430mm
MKAW-S7	Blue & Light Blue		Very Soft	Ø 30x23mm		Birch	430mm
MKA-08	Light Blue		Very Soft	Ø 33x23mm	Dual-core with rubber tube (2mm)	Rattan	430mm
MKAW-08	Light Blue		Very Soft	Ø 33x23mm		Birch	430mm
MKA-09	Purple		Extra Soft	Ø 36x23mm		Rattan	430mm
MKAW-09	Purple		Extra Soft	Ø 36x23mm		Birch	430mm

* There is some variation in lengths.

Features

Shaft

Shafts are 1-1/8” (3cm) longer than other Yamaha mallets*, which allows the mallets to exceed the demands required in contemporary music. Two types of shaft materials are available, rattan (MKA) and birch (MKAW), for compatibility with a wide variety of playing styles. * Except the MKA(W)-02 and MKA(W)-01.

MKA-01 (Rattan shaft)

MKAW-01 (Birch shaft)

Head

The round yarn wound heads are heavier than standard mallets, but they are fully capable of delivering delicate expression. Also, to obtain optimum flexibility from the shaft, careful consideration has been taken in achieving optimum balance between weight and shaft thickness when materials to be used in each mallet model were chosen.

[MKA(W)-01] With the MKA(W)-01 two-tone mallet, differences in touch are clearly apparent in the tone.

[MKA(W)-02/03] MKA(W)-02 and MKA(W)-03 utilize short shafts for fast, intricate mallet work. Hard to tell by looking, but the added weight in the mallet heads offers the percussionist greater possibilities in playing.

[MKA(W)-04/05/06/07/S7] The MKA(W)-04 through S7 are based on Yamaha’s Professional series with a rubber tube wrapped around its core. This design offers a slightly different touch that delivers greater expressiveness with enhanced sensitivity.

[MKA(W)-08/09] The MKA(W)-08 and 09 are designed to deliver greater tone from large rosewood tone bars at the bass end of the marimba.

Keiko Abe Profile

Appearing regularly in performances around the world, Keiko Abe continuously astonishes audiences with her rare combination of creative power, acute sensitivity and virtuoso technique. It is these qualities that have made her a leading force in the development of the marimba as a consummate concert instrument. Her command of an overwhelming repertoire allows her performances to range from solo concerts to chamber music and improvisations. While her compositions have become standards of marimba literature many composers have dedicated new works to her and she has inspired and premiered countless new compositions.

In addition to her work as Professor Emeritus of Music at Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo, Japan, she is in demand as a guest lecturer and has presented master classes in more than 100 of the leading music conservatories in North America, Europe and Asia. She has also released over 50 recordings and received numerous awards, including becoming the first woman elected to the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame in 1993.

Matching List

Composer	Style	Title	MKA(W)
Composer	Style	Title	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	S7	08	09
Keiko Abe	For Solo Marimba	Frogs						●	●	●
		Mi-chi							●	●	●	●
		Dream of the Cherry Blossoms						●	●	●	●
		Wind in the Bamboo Grove					●	●	●			●
		Ancient Vase					●	●	●			●
		Little Windows						●	●	●	●
		Memories of the Seashore for Solo Marimba							●	●	●	●
		Wind Across Mountains for Solo Marimba							●	●	●	●
		Itsuki Fantasy for Six Mallets						●	●	●	●	●
		Tambourin Paraphrase -for Solo Marimba-						●			●	●
		Wind Sketch for Solo Marimba						●	●		●	●
		Marimba d'Amore -for Solo Marimba-					●	●	●			●
		Prism for Solo Marimba					●
		Kazak Lullaby -for Solo Marimba-							●	●	●	●
		Piacer d'amor -for Solo Marimba-						●	●	●		●
		Song of the Seashore -for Solo Marimba-							●	●	●	●
		Alone -for Marimba-							●	●	●	●
		Variations on Dowland's Lachrimae Pavana -for Solo Marimba-							●	●	●	●
		Mi-chi Paraphrase -for Solo Marimba-					●	●	●			●
		Variations on Japanese Children's Songs					●	●	●			●
	For Two Marimbas	Tambourin Paraphrase -for Two Marimbas-					●	●			●	●
		Conversation in the Forest -for Two Marimbas-		●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
		Wind Across Mountains -for Two Marimbas-						●	●	●	●	●
		Wind Sketch Ⅱ -for Two Marimbas-						●	●	●	●	●
		Memories of the Seashore II -for Two Marimbas-						●	●	●	●	●
		Wind in the Bamboo Grove II -for Two Marimbas-					●	●	●	●	●	●
		The Breath of the Tree II -for Two Marimbas-						●	●	●	●	●
		Reflections on Japanese Children's Songs II -for Two Marimbas- Revised Edition				●	●	●	●		●	●
		Prism II -for Two Marimbas-					●		●
	For Marimba Concerto	Prism Rhapsody -for Marimba and Orchestra-		●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
		Prism Rhapsody -for Marimba and Wind Ensemble-		●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
		Prism Rhapsody II -for Two Marimbas and Orchestra-		●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
		Prism Rhapsody II -for Two Marimbas and Wind Ensemble-		●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
		Prism Rhapsody 2nd Edition -for Solo Marimba and Orchestra-		●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
		Prism Rhapsody 2nd Edition -for Solo Marimba and Wind Ensemble-		●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
		Marimba Concertino "The WAVE" -for Solo Marimba and Symphonic Wind Orchestra-	●	●	●		●	●	●	●	●	●
		Marimba Concerto "The WAVE Impressions" -for Solo Marimba and Orchestra-	●	●	●		●	●	●	●	●	●
		Marimba Concerto "The WAVE Impressions" -for Two Marimbas and Orchestra-	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
	For Marimba and Other Instruments	Conversation in the Forest I -for Solo Marimba and 3 Percussionists-		●	●
		Conversation in the Forest III -for Two Marimbas and 3 Percussionists-		●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
		Marimba Concertino The WAVE -for Solo Marimba and 4 Percussionists-	●	●	●		●	●	●	●	●	●
		Reflections on Japanese Children's Songs III -for Marimba Ensemble and 2 Percussionists-				●	●	●	●	●	●	●
		Prism Rhapsody II -for Two Marimbas and 6 Percussionists-		●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
		Prism Variations -for Marimba Ensemble and Percussionists-		●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
		The WAVE Impressions II -for Marimba Ensemble and 2 Percussionists-	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
		Conversation in the Forest V -for Marimba Ensemble and Percussionist"		●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
		The WAVE Impressions -for Solo Marimba and 2 Percussionists-	●	●	●		●	●	●	●	●	●
		Prism Variations -for Marimba Ensemble, Timpani and 3 Percussionists-		●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
		Prism Rhapsody Piano Reduction -for Solo Marimba and Orchestra or Wind Ensemble (Marimba Concerto)-		●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
		Prism Rhapsody II Piano Reduction -for Two Marimbas and Orchestra or Wind Ensemble (Marimba Concerto)-		●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
		Marimba Concerto "The WAVE Impressions" Piano Reduction -for Solo Marimba and Orchestra-	●	●	●		●	●	●	●	●	●
		The Breath of the Tree III -for Flute and 2 Marimbas-				●	●	●	●	●	●	●
	For Marimba Ensemble	Tambourin Paraphrase -for Marimba Ensemble-		●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
		Memories of the Seashore -for Marimba Ensemble-				●	●	●	●	●	●	●
		Wind Across Mountains -for Marimba Ensemble-						●	●	●	●	●
		Conversation in the Forest IV -for Marimba Quartet-			●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
Minoru Miki	For Solo Marimba	Time for Marimba	●			●
	For Marimba and Other Instruments	Marimba Spiritual for Solo Marimba with 3 Percussionists		●	●		●		●		●	●
	For Marimba Concerto	Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra	●		●	●	●	●	●		●
Akira Miyoshi	For Solo Marimba	Conversation Suite for Marimba	●		●	●	●	●
		Torse III	●		●	●	●
		Ripple for Solo Marimba	●			●
	For Marimba and Other Instruments	Rin-sai for Solo Marimba and Six Percussion Players	●	●		●
		Nocturne fir 5 Players		●		●		●			●
		Concerto pour Marimba et Ensemble a Cordes	●			●
Yasuo Sueyoshi	For Solo Marimba	Mirage pour Marimba	●			●
Toshimitsu Tanaka	For Solo Marimba	Two Movements for Marimba	●			●
Akira Yuyama	For Marimba and Other Instruments	Divertimento for Marimba and Alto Saxophone				●	●		●		●	●
Teruyuki Noda	For Marimba and Other Instruments	Quintetto per Marimba, 3 Flauti e Contrabasso Mattinata	●		●	●	●	●	●
Teruyuki Noda	For Marimba and Other Instruments	Obsession for Marimba, Flute, Clarinet, Percussion & Contra-bass	●		●
Yoshihisa Taira	For Solo Marimba	Convergence I pour Marimba Solo	●			●
Yoshihisa Taira	For Marimba and Other Instruments	Pentalpha for Five Instruments	●		●	●
Maki Ishii	For Marimba and Other Instruments	Marimba-Stuck mit zwei Schlagzeuger	●		●	●
		Concertante for Marimba Solo and 6 Percussionists Op.79	●		●	●	●	●	●		●
		Synkretismen I for Marimba and 5 Instruments Groups	●	●	●	●		●			●
Toshiya Sukegawa	For Solo Marimba	From 5 Pieces after Paul Klee Op.40	●		●	●	●	●	●	●	●
Akira Ifukube	For Marimba Concerto	Lauda Concertata per Orchestra e Marimba		●	●	●	●	●	●		●	●
Katsuhiro Tsubonoh	For Solo Marimba	Meniscus for Marimba	●			●
Katsuhiro Tsubonoh	For Marimba and Other Instruments	Ripple of the Wind concerto for 5 Players	●	●	●	●	●
Joji Yuasa	For Marimba and Other Instruments	Territory for Marimba, Flute, Clarinet, Percussion & Contra-bass	●		●	●		●	●
Kaoru Wada	For Marimba and Other Instruments	Go-Za-Kyoh-En for Marimba, Oboe, Alto Saxophone and 2 Percussion Players	●		●	●			●		●	●
Tokuhide Niimi	For Solo Marimba	For Marimba I	●			●
Tokuhide Niimi	For Solo Marimba	For Marimba II	●			●
Akira Nishimura	For Marimba and Other Instruments	Matra for Solo Marimba, Solo Timpani & 5 Percussionists		●	●	●	●	●	●			●
		Kala for Solo Marimba & Six Percussionists			●		●	●				●
		Voice of the Sun	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●
Yoshio Hachimura	For Solo Marimba	AHANIA	●			●
Minao Shibata	For Solo Marimba	Imagery for Marimba	●		●	●			●	●	●
Isao Matsushita	For Marimba and Other Instruments	Airscope II for Solo Marimba and Tape	●	●	●	●						●
Isao Matsushita	For Marimba and Other Instruments	Airscope III for Marimba and Timpani	●	●	●	●		●				●

Product Category

* Specifications are subject to change without notice. The colors and finishes shown may vary from those on the actual products.