Vibraphone

The vibraphone or vibraphone as Metallophon (percussion instrument ) is a further development of the marimba and has an electrically driven modulator. The instrument actually has a "cold, metallic sound. "

Type

It differs from the marimba, characterized in that the plates are made of a hard metal alloy instead of wood. The plates are mounted in the region of the vibration nodes of its fundamental resonant frequency as the marimba, the xylophone and the xylophone. Their length is inversely proportional to the square root of the fundamental resonance frequency. The cast is only in the work required and is done by grinding, can be tuned with both higher or lower by decreasing the mass or stiffness.

The vibraphone is struck with mallets ( mallets ), the upper end consists of a garnumwickelten rubber head. The range is usually composed of three octaves of f to f3. The vibraphone in 1916 patented in the U.S. as "Steel Marimba ".

Among the drives tuned resonant tubes depend on the gain of the sound. In some vibraphones they are extended under the high notes for optical reasons. Inside they are divided, but to obtain the proper length. In the tubes there are discs that are rotated by an electric motor. Wherein the tubes are opened and closed, which gives the characteristic vibraphone tremolo according to the rotational speed. In addition, can be operated using a pedal, a damper to determine similar to the piano, the sound duration.

The vibraphone in jazz

Swing

The vibraphone is one of the classical instruments in jazz. The first recording of a vibraphone in a jazz number, Lionel Hampton in 1930. During recording in the NBC Studios in Los Angeles Louis Armstrong discovered a vibraphone and asked Hampton to play it. Hampton, who had known the instrument according to the principle of the xylophone, tried it successfully and made in consequence, the vibraphone as a jazz instrument popular. At the same time the vibraphone already played Red Norvo as a solo instrument in jazz, but made only in 1933 with Victor Young first recordings on the instrument. While Norvo played the instrument pianistic, it used the bandleader Hampton phrasing percussive, rhythmic riffs behind his Big Band.

Modern Jazz

Milt Jackson was in 1939 drew attention to the then-new instrument by a teacher. He experimented before he developed a third access to the instrument by developing soft bat ("soft mallets " ) and played; In addition, it reduced the rotation shaft 10 reduced to 3.3 revolutions per second. So he drew the vibraphone an expressiveness that lay beyond what the instrument developers had intended. " The vibrato, which I reached on this instrument was very similar to the vibrato, which I had as a singer in my voice. That fascinated me - and I was singing and four other instruments in order to concentrate on this one " The Modern Jazz Quartet under the joint leadership of Jackson and pianist John Lewis contributed with his jazz interpretations, much to the appreciation of the vibraphone. at as a solo instrument.

For generation Milt Jackson include vibraphonist Terry Gibbs, Teddy Charles, Victor Feldman, later came the early deceased Eddie Costa, Larry Bunker and Mike Mainieri. The ideal sound of the late 1961 Lem Winchester followed musicians such as Gary Burton, Tom van der Geld and Bobby Hutcherson, who revolutionized the vibraphone and " after 15 years of Milt Jackson 's rule " ( Berendt / Huesmann ) emancipated from the father figure of the instrument.

Exotica

The percussionist Cal Tjader led the vibraphone in the Latin jazz and is still one of the most musically influential vibraphonist. Under the leadership of Martin Denny, Julius Wechter the vibraphone in the Hawaiian music and helped shape him the music style " Exotica ", which was popular in the 1950s and 1960s. But even in the easy-listening music of the 1960s, the instrument has its place. Even today it is used in modern pieces of music, as it has an atmospheric sound.

Free Jazz

The German jazz musician Gunter Hampel and Karl Berger set the vibraphone since the mid-1960s in free jazz. Hampel created in his various groups sound braids so by using the vibraphone with flutes and saxophones played at high altitudes.

The vibraphone in Classical Music

• Pierre Boulez: Le Marteau sans maître (1955 ) for alto voice and six instruments, including vibraphone solo
• Alan Chan: Floes (2004) for vibraphone
• Christopher Deane Mourning Dove Sonnet (1986 )
• Edison Denisov: Concerto for Flute, Vibraphone, Harpsichord and Strings ( 1993)
• Siegfried Fink: Concertino for Vibraphone and String Orchestra ( 1958/67/74, Milt Jackson dedicated )
• Horst Lohse: Prelude (2005) for bass clarinet and vibraphone
• Darius Milhaud: Concerto for Marimba, Vibraphone and Orchestra, Op 278 (1947)
• Luigi Morleo: Diritti: No Limit ( 2013). Concerto for Vibraphone and String Orchestra
• Jan Müller -Wieland: Concerto for Vibraphone and Orchestra ( 1994)
• Florian Poser: St. Mountain, Concertino for Vibraphone and Orchestra (1985/2000); Three Pictures, Concerto for Vibraphone and Orchestra ( 1998); 3 Concerto for Vibraphone and Orchestra (2006/ 2012)
• Emmanuel Séjourné: Concerto for Vibraphone and String Orchestra ( 1999)
• Karlheinz Stockhausen: Vibra - Elufa for vibraphone; Ray (2002)

Training

The vibraphone is assigned to the percussion instruments in the field of " Mallets ". Thus, it is part of the musical study at all institutions forming music (music academies, conservatories, academies, vocational schools for music, ... ) that offer the professional drums. The study ends at all institutions with a state examination (Bachelor / Master). Some institutions offer specialized training in the field of jazz ( University of Arts Berlin / David Friedman, College of Music Nuremberg / Bill Molenhof; University of Music Basel / Urs Wiesner ).

Notable albums

• Karl Berger: Transit ( Black Saint, 1986)
• Gary Burton Gary Burton & Keith Jarrett ( Rhino, 1969/70 )
• Teddy Charles: New Directions ( OJC, 1951-53 )
• Eddie Costa & Bill Evans: Guys and Dolls Like Vibes ( Verve, 1958)
• Victor Feldman: With Mallets a Fore Thouzght ( VSOP, 1957)
• Lionel Hampton Lionel Hampton with Oscar Peterson - Jazz Masters 26 ( Verve Records, 1953/54 )
• Bobby Hutcherson: Dialogue ( Blue Note, 1965), happenings ( Blue Note, 1966), Oblique ( Blue Note, 1967)
• Milt Jackson: Wizard of the Vibes ( Blue Note Records, 1947-52 ) with Thelonious Monk
• Bobby Naughton / Leo Smith. Divine Love (ECM, 1978)
• Red Norvo: The Red Norvo Trios ( OJC / Prestige Records in 1953 /54) with Tal Farlow, Jimmy Raney
• Cal Tjader: Cal Tjaders Greatest Hits (fantasy, 1954-75 )
• Various Artists: Jazz Club Vibraphone ( Verve Records Anthology 1944-1970 ) with titles of Hampton, Winchester, Gibbs, Norvo, Milt Jackson, Burton, Feldman, Tjader, among others