Home > Facts > Music Instruments Facts > Xylophone Facts

Xylophone Facts

Xylophone Facts
The xylophone is a musical instrument with wooden bars that are struck with a mallet to produce sound. The wooden bars are arranged similarly to a piano, and each one is a different length, which creates a different sound. It is believed that the xylophone dates back to ancient Southeast Asia (2000BC), and that the instrument was brought to Africa by Malayo-Polynesians. The western xylophone, which is the one most are familiar with is first mentioned in Europe in 1511. It was referred to as 'wooden clatter' at the time. It wasn't until the 1860s that the term 'xylophone' was used to reference the instrument.
Interesting Xylophone Facts:
The xylophone is a member of the percussion family of instruments.
Different versions of the xylophone have existed for many years in many cultures.
The African xylophone is referred to as the balafon; in Mozambique the xylophone is referred to as the Mbilia; in Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mali, and West Africa the xylophone is referred to as the gyil; in western Zambia the xylophone is referred to as the silimba.
The early xylophones in Asia were often created with wooden bars attached to gourds. Today the frame of the xylophone is made of wood or metal.
The xylophone gained popularity internationally in the 1800s when the Russian musician Michael Josef Gusikov toured with his instrument.
Between 1910 and 1940 the xylophone was popular in vaudeville acts.
Jazz musicians often used the xylophone in their bands until the vibraphone became more popular in this style of music in the 1940s.
In the 1970s the xylophone became popular in ragtime music.
The bars of a xylophone are often made of rosewood or Kelon (a type of fiberglass).
Bars of the xylophone are created with different lengths, which produce different sounds.
Shorter xylophone bars produce high notes and longer xylophone bars produce lower notes.
The bars of a xylophone are strung together with string or cord and held in place while being able to vibrate when struck with the mallet to produce sound.
Under each bar of the xylophone is a resonator tube that amplifies the sound.
Xylophones used in concert halls often have 42 to 48 wooden bars and are similar in appearance to a keyboard.
Mallets used for the xylophone can be made of a variety of material including wood, metal, or rubber.
The xylophone has been used for purposes other than music. In Senegal it was used to scare monkeys and birds and other pests from people's gardens.
The type of wood used to create the bars of the xylophone can result in different sounds. Hardwood is the most common but bamboo has also been used.
The xylophone has also been used for sound effects in movies as can be used to mimic the sound of bones clanging together.
Xylophones are often used in elementary school musical education classes.
The first time a xylophone was used in an orchestra for the opera Hansel and Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck (Arnold George Dorsey), a German Composer, in 1893.


Related Links:
Facts
Music Instruments Facts
Animals Facts
Orchestra Word Search Worksheets Builder