Meaning of Xylophone in Music
A xylophone is a percussion instrument consisting of a row of wooden bars of different lengths. It is played by striking the bars with special hammers or mallets. The word "xylophone" comes from the Greek words "xylon" meaning "wood" and "phone" meaning "sound". The wooden bars are typically arranged like the keys of a piano, and the player can change the pitch by using different types of mallets and hitting the bars in different ways.
The xylophone is a member of the percussion family of instruments, which includes any instrument that makes a sound when it is hit, shaken, or scraped. It produces a bright, bell-like sound and is often used in orchestras, bands, and other musical ensembles The sound of the xylophone can be amplified by attaching metal tubes called resonators to the bottom of the wooden bars, which help to amplify and sustain the sound.
The xylophone has a long history and is believed to have originated in Southeast Asia or Oceania. It has been used in various forms, from simple logs or wooden slabs laid across a player's legs to more complex designs with resonator boxes or suspended bars. The instrument has also been used in different cultural contexts, such as the Indonesian gamelan orchestra and the Japanese Kabuki theatre.
In summary, the xylophone is a percussion instrument with wooden bars of different lengths that are struck with mallets to produce a bright, bell-like sound. It is a versatile instrument used in various musical genres and cultural contexts.
A percussion instrument consisting of a row of chromatically tuned wooden bars, arranged in the manner of a piano keyboard. The bars are supported by a wooden frame over resonator tubes and they are sounded by being struck with mallets. Currently, the standard xylophone has a range of three-and-a-half octaves (F3 to C7). Commercial sizes can have as few as three octaves and as many as five octaves. The xylophone sounds one octaves higher than the written note.
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