About marimbas and xylophones
Both marimba and xylophone belong in the same category. Surprisingly, however, they originated in different regions. Due to their different musical range, they are used differently in classical music, depending on the piece.
Marimbas are from Africa
The marimba is an instrument in the xylophone family. A long time ago, people used to make a hole in the ground to produce resonance. The resonator then evolved into a wooden board with gourds along on its back, which is still popular as a folk instrument. This instrument was transmitted from Africa to Latin America, and to the United States, and has finally become the modern marimba with metal resonator tubes. A concert for 100 marimbas at Carnegie Hall in New York in 1935, which was conducted by Clair Omar Musser, spread the instrument's fame to the world. Since 1940, lots of pieces for marimba and orchestra have been made. The best-known works include Milhand's 'Concerto for Marimba, Vibraphone, and Orchestra' and Messiaen's 'Colours of the Celestial City'. These days it is widening its appeal as a solo instrument.
The marimba's range spans four octaves
The marimba, whose wooden keys are arranged like those of a piano, has a range of four octaves, the widest range of all the bar percussion instruments. Marimba bars are tuned to produce its sound by sounding a fundamental tone and its fourth overtone (a tone two octaves higher than the fundamental tone, or a tone with the 4-fold frequency of that of the fundamental tone) at the same time, which is called 'fourth overtone tuning'. In the low-pitched range, the bars are tuned to produce a tenth overtone, producing the marimba's unique soft and rich tones. The bars are wider and longer at the lowest pitched notes, and the metal resonators attached below to the bars are also longer as the notes get lower. Some resonators are arranged in a beautiful arch for visual appeal. The head of the resonators is open, but the bottom is closed.
The xylophone originated in Southeast Asia
The xylophone, an instrument born in Southeast Asia, belongs in the same family as the marimba. Famous works featuring the xylophone include Saint-Saëns' 'Le Carnaval des Animaux' and Stravinsky's 'The Firebird'. The xylophone is tuned to produce its sound by sounding a fundamental tone and its third overtone (a tone one octave and fifth higher than the fundamental tone, or a tone with a 3-fold frequency of that of the fundamental tone) at the same time, which is called 'third overtone tuning'. The instrument generally has a range of three and a half octaves, covering a higher-pitched range than the marimba. Unlike the marimba, some xylophones have no resonators. That is because resonators do not have a significant effect on the high-pitched range of xylophones.
The difference between the marimba and the xylophone is not only in how the bars are tuned. If you look at the back of the low-pitched bars, you will find that marimba bars have a hollow surface in the middle and xylophone bars have a wavy surface. These differences in the bar shape and tuning lead to the marimba's soft tone and the xylophone's bright, sharp tone.
The marimba comes in a wide range of specification and prices, including ones with a range of five octaves for professionals. Try out some before you purchase, and choose the most appropriate one according to your intended use.
Range of the marimba and xylophone
