If you're looking for a great percussion instrument, then a
wooden xylophone is an instrument you must consider Over the years the
xylophone has evolved to look and sound differently. It changed shape
and size as its construction changed. Sometimes its made out of wood,
pipe, bone or even fiberglass! The xylophone also paved the way for its
harsher sounding metal cousins; the glockenspiels and vibraphones.
Now although the word "xylophone" is less than two hundred years old, the instrument has been around for centuries. Because wood is so readily available, it was used to make numerous musical instruments, among which are the wooden xylophones and it's cousins marimbas. It has been many years since the first wooden xylophone was made. The one that history remembers was found in China. It is dated over 2,000 B.C. and exemplified the simplicity of the instrument. It features bars of varying lengths, arranged from shortest to longest, intertwined to allow the vibration to carry well.
It's not clear where the xylophone originated from in the world. There is evidence to suggest that there were wooden xylophones created independently in Asia and Africa. These xylophones went wherever their owners went, and so they made their way around the world. In the nineteenth century they were popularized by famed musicians and today have made their way into elementary school classrooms. Student xylophones are quite popular in North American, after studies conducted showed that they aid in cultivating musical talent in kids.
While the more expensive woods are not used to build the vast majority of wooden xylophones, due to the rising demand, more contemporary materials are used. The modern western-style xylophone has bars made rosewood, paddock, or various synthetic materials including fibreglass or fibreglass-reinforced plastics. This new xylophone sound, makes it a valuable member of many concerts. Some wooden xylophones can be as small as 2 1/2 octaves but concert xylophones are typically 3 1/2 or 4 octaves.
To further project the sound and make it more powerful, concert xylophones use tube-like resonators. The quality of the xylophone will reflect in the way that its stand is made. The more expensive xylophones provide more stability and often have a way to adjust the bar height. In other music cultures; xylophone have wooden bars and wooden frames, but instead of pipe resonators, dried fruit shells are used to carry the sound.
Maybe you're fascinated with the xylophone and want to make your own. It's a reasonable undertaking, but before you start your project, really examine the wood you have available to you. Make sure that the wood doesn't have any kinks or curves; that it's straight and free of knots and cracks. It's always a good idea to buy more wood than you need, in case you make errors in cutting, assembly or tuning phases. Also if you have wood from the same batch, in the future, if you need to replace any bars on your xylophone, then it's better to use the same wood you used originally
Now although the word "xylophone" is less than two hundred years old, the instrument has been around for centuries. Because wood is so readily available, it was used to make numerous musical instruments, among which are the wooden xylophones and it's cousins marimbas. It has been many years since the first wooden xylophone was made. The one that history remembers was found in China. It is dated over 2,000 B.C. and exemplified the simplicity of the instrument. It features bars of varying lengths, arranged from shortest to longest, intertwined to allow the vibration to carry well.
It's not clear where the xylophone originated from in the world. There is evidence to suggest that there were wooden xylophones created independently in Asia and Africa. These xylophones went wherever their owners went, and so they made their way around the world. In the nineteenth century they were popularized by famed musicians and today have made their way into elementary school classrooms. Student xylophones are quite popular in North American, after studies conducted showed that they aid in cultivating musical talent in kids.
While the more expensive woods are not used to build the vast majority of wooden xylophones, due to the rising demand, more contemporary materials are used. The modern western-style xylophone has bars made rosewood, paddock, or various synthetic materials including fibreglass or fibreglass-reinforced plastics. This new xylophone sound, makes it a valuable member of many concerts. Some wooden xylophones can be as small as 2 1/2 octaves but concert xylophones are typically 3 1/2 or 4 octaves.
To further project the sound and make it more powerful, concert xylophones use tube-like resonators. The quality of the xylophone will reflect in the way that its stand is made. The more expensive xylophones provide more stability and often have a way to adjust the bar height. In other music cultures; xylophone have wooden bars and wooden frames, but instead of pipe resonators, dried fruit shells are used to carry the sound.
Maybe you're fascinated with the xylophone and want to make your own. It's a reasonable undertaking, but before you start your project, really examine the wood you have available to you. Make sure that the wood doesn't have any kinks or curves; that it's straight and free of knots and cracks. It's always a good idea to buy more wood than you need, in case you make errors in cutting, assembly or tuning phases. Also if you have wood from the same batch, in the future, if you need to replace any bars on your xylophone, then it's better to use the same wood you used originally
I hope by now you are inspired to learn how to make a wooden xylophone of your own!
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