How is the sound of a xylophone affected?

The sound of the xylophone is governed by the natural frequencies of the wooden bars when they are struck but is also largely affected by where the bars are strung and the length of the resonator tubes below. This paper will discuss the physics behind these three components and how they ultimately affect the overall sound of the instrument.

What kind of pitch is a xylophone tuned to?

Each bar is an idiophone tuned to a pitch of a musical scale, whether pentatonic or heptatonic in the case of many African and Asian instruments, diatonic in many western children’s instruments, or chromatic for orchestral use.

Where does the xylophone get its name from?

See media help. The xylophone (from the Greek words ξύλον — xylon, “wood” + φωνή — phōnē, “sound, voice”, literally meaning “sound of wood”) is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets.

What makes a xylophone a transposing instrument?

The xylophone is a transposing instrument: its parts are written one octave below the sounding notes. Concert xylophones have tube resonators below the bars to enhance the tone and sustain. Frames are made of wood or cheap steel tubing: more expensive xylophones feature height adjustment and more stability in the stand.

See media help. The xylophone (from the Greek words ξύλον — xylon, “wood” + φωνή — phōnē, “sound, voice”, meaning “wooden sound”) is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets.

How are the bars arranged on a xylophone?

A cord is placed across the middle of the xylophone to lift the bars from the frame, allowing them to vibrate freely. The bars are usually arranged on a frame like a piano keyboard and are tuned to the same 12-note chromatic scale.