This book provides etudes that will develop the various technical elements involved in 4-mallet playing, and also introduces students to a variety of contemporary harmonic, rhythmic and notational styles, and different musical forms. Contemporary Etudes for 3 & 4 Mallets still provides one of the few pathways leading students from traditional harmonies, simple rhythms and conventional notation to the complexity and variety of musical styles they will encounter in the 21st century.

These arrangements are designed to be as logistically easy as possible: The accompaniments are all playable by two performers on one 4-1/3 octave marimba, making them ideal for any situation in which space and set-up time are a constraint.