The term xylophone refers to the sound of wood .
The xylophone, also called xylophone, is the name given to one of the percussion musical instruments, with which sound is created by striking a set of flat wooden sheets with different sizes and thicknesses, with a semi-cylindrical length and a variable thickness, which are supported on a frame.
These blades produce sound when struck by two hammers that have a felt or rubber coated head.
Each of these blades produce a different tone depending on the type of tuning given. These maintain an order very similar to that of the piano keys. The sound produced becomes much more vivid than that of the marimba – percussion instrument – and it also sustains the musical notes.
This musical instrument is one of the oldest, existing since prehistoric times, however the most modern ones have much shorter percussion blades. These are also made of metal and plastic, this last option is used as a children’s game.
There are three types of xylophones, the sopranos, the highs and the lows, which are distinguished by having a different scale and measurement each. Larger xylophones, for example, typically offer up to 48 different notes.
WHAT ARE ITS PARTS?
- 1Parts of the xylophone
- 1Metal frame
- 2Hammers
- 3Sheets
- 4Resonators
Parts of the xylophone
Metal frame
It is presented as a kind of table with legs, which can hold all the sheets that will be hit by the drumsticks to produce each musical note.
Hammer
Also called drumsticks . These are the two sticks or rods with which the sheets of the xylophone are struck. These are covered at one end by a ball that can be made of felt, rubber or another soft material that makes the sound much sweeter and softer.
To play, the hammers are taken on the other hand, by the rod , which must go in the lower part of the palm, with the stick remaining above the middle finger and the ball to be played with should be in the lateral area of the palm, by the smallest finger.
Prints
The part of the xylophone that is struck by the drumstick to produce the sound. It appears as a horizontally resonant wood or metal bar that is held to the frame by two soft tips that it has at its ends.
These can be made of wood, metal and even plastic – children’s xylophone -; at the same time they can be a little cylindrical, simulating the shape of a tube, or they can be smooth. These are arranged in the same way as the piano keys, where the lowest keys are located to the left and the highest keys to the right.
Resonators
These are short pieces that can be extended close to the middle of the frame. Each sheet has a resin underneath, which is what gives the musical tone when the sheet is played.
