Xylophone

The xylophone xylophone (composed of Greek ξύλον xylon, wood ' and φωνή phone, voice ') is a Idiophone, which is played with mallets. It belongs to the family of the mallet (English mallet percussion), whose main representatives in Europe next to the xylophone marimba ( marimba ), the glockenspiel and vibraphone count. The origin of the xylophone is in Asia and Africa. Beginning of the 16th century it was known in Germany as Wooden laughter ( cf. straw fiddle).

Type

The xylophone for example, consists of a series of hardwood bars ( usually rosewood ), by which the pitch is different length sets. The rods are mounted in the region of the vibration nodes of its fundamental resonance frequency. Their length is inversely proportional to the square root of the fundamental resonance frequency. The rods can vote by placing them grinds, which can be tuned both higher and lower by decreasing the mass or stiffness.

The attack is usually done with two spoon-shaped wooden mallets on the front edge or to the center of the bars.

With the older trapezoidal design, the sound bars are chromatic, diatonic or pentatonic arranged in a row. The single-row diatonic or pentatonic arrangement is still used for music educational purposes ( see, eg, Orff -Schulwerk ). In the professional field, the chromatic wood panels are usually arranged in two rows in the manner of a keyboard, the back row of view corresponds to the player to the black keys of the piano.

Regarding the type distinction is made between Holmxylofon, Rahmenxylofon, Kastenxylofon, Trogxylofon and Tragbügelxylofon. When Holmxylofon the rods lie crosswise on two bars (Holm ), the Trogxylofon on a box ( trough ), which also serves as a resonance chamber. African xylophones with calabash resonators usually have Mirlitone for sound reinforcement.

Sound

The sound of the xylophone is short and percussive; longer note values ​​can be approximately simulated by the player vortically strikes a wooden stick with two mallets. The timbre is perceived as dry, light and during fast game as a clatter, and was often associated with ghostly and spooky.

Importance

The instrument was used for the first time in the Danse Macabre by Camille Saint- Saens (1874 ) in the symphonic music. It is also found in the dance and entertainment music use. Well-known examples are the Sabre Dance from the ballet by Aram Khachaturian Gayaneh, Orff's Carmina Burana, the Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint- Saëns and the famous solo piece memories of Circus Renz.

In many non-European music, the xylophone and its relatives occupy an important position. The marimba is considered as a national instrument of Guatemala. In Africa xylophones are widely used in West Africa as Balaphon, in the south of Uganda as amadinda with twelve and as akadinda with up to 22 sound bars and Malawi as valimba. In the Indonesian Gamelan Gambang which will be played next mallet made ​​of metal.

In music education and special education xylophones are used in which individual sound bars are easily interchangeable in order to compile a chord or melody lines and bring you as musical amateurs to music. Xylophones are the core instruments of the Orff Schulwerk.

Variants

Since the early 20th century, the xylorimba, a variant in the ambit of the xylophone is increased in the low range and thus has a range from c to c4, that is four octaves exist. The xylorimba is not a mixture of marimba and xylophone, as the name suggests; Instead, therefore, the name comes from that these Xylofonvariante can also generate such sounds that are normally reached on the marimba. Another variant is the electronic Xylosynth.

Related instruments

Related to the xylophone are the xylophone ( with metal rods ) and the Lithophone ( with rod-shaped stones); a known Lithophone the Musical Stones of Skiddaw from Keswick Museum and Art Gallery in Keswick. It was constructed during the years 1827-1840.

Works for xylophone

• Jules Blangenois: Introduction et Mazurka for xylophone and orchestra. 1901 ( Melos.de Library )
• John Corigliano: Conjurer: Concerto for Percussionist and String Orchestra with Brass. 2007 ( Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra, 1st movement )