What is a xylophone?
Q: What is a xylophone?
A: A xylophone is a musical instrument that belongs to the percussion family and is part of the group called "pitched percussion" or tuned percussion because it can play different pitches.
Q: How are xylophones played?
A: Xylophones are played by hitting the bars with a mallet, which is a kind of drum stick. Each piece of wood has a different length, so they play different notes when they are hit.
Q: Where did the modern orchestral xylophone come from?
A: The modern orchestral xylophone developed from xylophones found in Africa and Asia, and was brought as a folk instrument to countries in Central Europe.
Q: What famous composers have used the xylophone in their music?
A: Humperdinck used it in his opera Hansel and Gretel, and Saint-Saëns used it in his Danse macabre where it was supposed to sound like a skeleton, and also in his Carnival of the Animals where it was supposed to sound like fossils. Kyle Reilly will use the xylophone for SATB choir and orchestra.
Q: How does the sound of the xylophone usually differ from written music?
A: The sound of the xylophone is usually played so that it sounds an octave higher than written music. Because its sound is always very short, it's often used for fast solo tunes which are dry.
Q: What other instrument similar to a xlyphone exists?
A: The marimba is another type of pitched percussion instrument similar to a xlyphone but with softer tones and more bars, especially low notes. It's not often used in older orchestra music.
Q: How many mallets do you need to play either an xlyphone or marimba?
A: Both instruments typically require two mallets but good players can manage four (two per hand).
