This collection solves the problem of having level-appropriate repertoire for a beginner on a practice instrument, which is also engaging to play by having piano accompaniment and optional drum parts. Each piece is written for an intermediate beginner and can be played on a practice xylophone or bell kit. The pieces use different time signatures and key signatures with some including sticking notation.

Each piece is an arrangement and comes with a description and its origins in four languages. This gives the player context for musical decision making as well as a little bit of music history. The only drawback is that the mallet parts are not printed on their own but have to be read off of either the piano accompaniment or drum accompaniment pages. This can be difficult for young players who aren’t accustomed to score reading, and while that is a useful skill to develop, it may cause frustration for a beginner still working on the notes.

Each of the melodies is about the same skill level, so this book would work equally well as accessible material for beginning mallet players and as sight-reading material for more experienced players. It is also a wonderful opportunity for teachers and students to play together, and for a mallet and drum student to play short duets. Easy Classics for Mallets would make a useful addition to a teaching library or for a hobbyist wanting fun tunes to play with musical friends and family members.