Meaning of Vibraphone in Music
The vibraphone is a musical instrument that belongs to the percussion family. It is often used in various genres of music, including classical, jazz, and popular music. The vibraphone consists of a set of metal bars that are struck with mallets to produce sound. It is similar to the xylophone and marimba but has a unique feature that sets it apart.
Characteristics of the VibraphoneThe vibraphone has a special feature that gives it its name. It is equipped with small, electrically operated fans above the resonators (and below the bars) that create a vibrato effect by rapidly opening and closing the resonators. This vibrato effect adds a unique tonal quality to the sound of the instrument.
The instrument also has a pedal-controlled damper, which consists of a long strip of felt below each row of bars. This damper allows the player to silence the bars, enabling the playing of short notes and unblurred series of chords. Additionally, altering the speed of the fans, using hard mallets, or cutting off the fans can further modify the tone quality of the vibraphone.
Historical SignificanceThe vibraphone was invented around 1920 and quickly became popular in dance bands, particularly in jazz music. Prominent jazz musicians such as Lionel Hampton, Milt Jackson, and Red Norvo were known for their skillful use of the vibraphone.
In classical music, the vibraphone was initially used to give compositions a jazz influence. The first known composer to use the vibraphone was Havergal Brian in his 1917 opera, The Tigers. However, since the piece was lost and did not premiere until 1983, Ferde Grof's Grand Canyon Suite, completed in 1931, is sometimes considered to be the first piece to use a vibraphone instead.
Other early classical composers who incorporated the vibraphone into their compositions include Alban Berg, who prominently used it in his opera Lulu in 1935, and William Grant Still, who used it in his Afro-American Symphony in the same year.
While the vibraphone has not been used as extensively in classical music as it has in jazz, it can often be heard in theater or film music, such as in Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story.
ConclusionThe vibraphone is a versatile percussion instrument that adds a unique tonal quality to music. Its vibrato effect, pedal-controlled damper, and ability to modify tone quality make it a distinctive instrument in both classical and jazz music.
A percussion idiophone developed in the 1920's, used much in jazz music. It consists of metal bars arranged in the manner of a piano keyboard, and it is sounded by means of soft mallets. It looks similar to a marimba, only with metal bars. A series of resonator tubes are hung under the metal bars. Each of the resonator tubes has a disc in them that rotates to open and close the tube, thus altering the pattern of vibrations for the pitches that are sounded. This process provides a soothing pulsation similar to a vibrato. This vibrato effect can be controlled by the performer from no vibrato to a slow vibrato to a very fast vibrato. This wide range of vibrato possibilities provides a broad palette of sounds for the performer and are controlled by the speed of the spinning discs with a variable speed electric motor. Usually the vibraphone has a three octave range of f to f3. Some vibraphones have an extended range from c to f3. It is also known as the vibraharp.
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