The xylophone is a musical percussion instrument comprising a number of wooden bars of varying length arranged in rows over resonators to produce sounds when struck with hammers.
Often confused with its cousin the marimba, the xylophone has thick, hardwood bars and elicits much sharper, shorter notes, so the two instruments are often used together for a more varied tone.
No one really knows the xylophone's origins. Although they are present in the traditional music of Melanesia, Southeast Asia, Europe, Africa, and more, its birthplace and date remain a mystery. In 1511, it was called "wooden clatter" and later a "straw fiddle" in Europe.
The East African log xylophone has bars lying on banana stems resting on the ground with no resonators below the bars. It was imported into Europe in the late 15th century where the xylophone bars were laid out on straw in four rows (instead of today's two rows). This practice continued for over 300 years but today the xylophone is often identified by its piano-esque appearance.
The xylophone is actually interchangeable with the marimba in Latin America, and has been used in Guatemala since before the 17th century.
The xylophone first became known in the western world in the early 19th century, and its first significant orchestral appearance was in Camille Saint-Saëns' "Danse Macabre" (1874).
It wasn't until the 20th century that the xylophone became as important to classical music as it was to musicals.
In Senegal, xylophones have been used as part of initiation ceremonies, played by young girls and boys. Among other practical uses, it was also used to scare birds, monkeys, and other pests out of the gardens.
Today's xylophones are usually made of hardwood, but can also be constructed from other types of wood, including maple or even bamboo. However, you're likely to get a much different sound depending on what type of wood you use.
The xylophone is often used to to effect the sound of clanking bones, making it as relevant in a Halloween movie as in jazz.
Sources The Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments, Compton's Encyclopedia
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Often confused with its cousin the marimba, the xylophone has thick, hardwood bars and elicits much sharper, shorter notes, so the two instruments are often used together for a more varied tone.
No one really knows the xylophone's origins. Although they are present in the traditional music of Melanesia, Southeast Asia, Europe, Africa, and more, its birthplace and date remain a mystery. In 1511, it was called "wooden clatter" and later a "straw fiddle" in Europe.
The East African log xylophone has bars lying on banana stems resting on the ground with no resonators below the bars. It was imported into Europe in the late 15th century where the xylophone bars were laid out on straw in four rows (instead of today's two rows). This practice continued for over 300 years but today the xylophone is often identified by its piano-esque appearance.
The xylophone is actually interchangeable with the marimba in Latin America, and has been used in Guatemala since before the 17th century.
The xylophone first became known in the western world in the early 19th century, and its first significant orchestral appearance was in Camille Saint-Saëns' "Danse Macabre" (1874).
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| Orchestral xylophone (left) and marimba (right) By Spiritia, |
It wasn't until the 20th century that the xylophone became as important to classical music as it was to musicals.
In Senegal, xylophones have been used as part of initiation ceremonies, played by young girls and boys. Among other practical uses, it was also used to scare birds, monkeys, and other pests out of the gardens.
Today's xylophones are usually made of hardwood, but can also be constructed from other types of wood, including maple or even bamboo. However, you're likely to get a much different sound depending on what type of wood you use.
The xylophone is often used to to effect the sound of clanking bones, making it as relevant in a Halloween movie as in jazz.
Sources The Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments, Compton's Encyclopedia
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