The Xylophone

The xylophone is the best known of all the mallet percussion instruments. It is a word everyone recognizes, and is often used to identify any and all of the members of the mallet percussion family.

Oddly enough, the xylophone is rarely heard in popular music. This instrument is used mostly in the symphony orchestra and in musical theatre. The tight, brittle sound it creates is perfect as a kind of "special effect" that can add punch to a woodwind section. It's sound is especially striking when coupled with flute. Broadway has always used the xylophone as part of the pit orchestra. The opening to Porgy and Bess contains a difficult and impressive part for xylophone.

All three instruments, vibes, marimba, and xylophone look similar. Let's take a look at the major differences.

• The xylophone's wooden bars produce very short, high pitched sounds. The marimba's wooden bars create more mellow sounds that have a sustaining quality. The vibes have a metal bar that can ring for a long time, like a note on a piano.
• The xylophone is played with a hard wooden or plastic mallet. The vibes and marimba are generally played with a softer rubber mallet that is often wrapped with yarn.
• The xylophone is used almost exclusively in ensemble settings. The marimba and vibes often perform as solo instruments, as well as members of a group.

History of the Xylophone

The xylophone received its name from the Greek word xylon, meaning "wood", and the word phone, meaning "sound". Historically, the xylophone probably had its beginnings in Southeast Asia around the 14th century. The simplest xylophones were a pair of bars that laid across the player's legs. More complex instruments were developed that were mounted on a frame. It developed further as part of the Indonesian gamelan, or percussion orchestra. From there, the xylophone spread throughout Africa and Europe. It became a widely used folk instrument in central Europe, and was first used in a modern orchestra in 1874. From Africa, the instrument was imported to South America by African slaves, where it developed into the Marimba.

The xylophone was probably a frequent member of early jazz bands in the 1920s and 1930s. It was also a very popular instrument in Vaudville. It's bright lively sound would work well with the syncopated dance music of that time. Red Norvo, best known as a jazz vibes player, used the xylophone a lot in the early days of his career. As time passed, the xylophone was used less and less in jazz and popular music, while the vibraphone gained in popularity. A modern xylophone player, Ian Finkle, is enjoying much success performing traditional vaudville, classical, and contemporary music arranged for a large ensemble that he fronts. Ian is a virtuoso musician with impressive technique. His live performances are always exciting.