Construction Marimba

1 construction

1.1 bars
1.2 range
1.3 resonators
1.4 mallets

construction

folk , popular marimba


bars

marimba bars typically made of either wood or synthetic material. rosewood desirable, while padauk popular affordable alternative. bars made synthetic materials fall short in sound quality in comparison wooden bars, less expensive , yield added durability , weather resistance, making them suitable outdoor use; marimbas wooden bars played inside because bars susceptible pitch change due weather. bubinga (guibourtia demeusei) , mahogany have been cited comparable rosewood in quality use marimba bars. specific rosewood, dalbergia stevensonii, grows in southern guatemala , belize, formerly british honduras. wood has janka rating of 2200, 3 times harder silver maple. bars wider , longer @ lowest pitched notes, , gradually narrower , shorter notes higher. during tuning, wood taken middle underside of bar lower pitch. because of this, bars thinner in lowest pitch register , thicker in highest pitch register.

in africa, marimbas made local artisans locally available materials.

marimba bars produce fullest sound when struck off center, while striking bar in center produces more articulate tone. on chromatic marimbas, accidentals (black keys) can played on space between front edge of bar , node (the place string goes through bar) if necessary. playing on node produces sonically weak tone, , technique used when player or composer looking muted sound instrument.

contrabass marimba: range of g1–g3



bass marimba: range of c2–f3


range

there no standard range of marimba, common ranges 4 octaves, 4.3 octaves , 5 octaves; 4.5, 4.6 , 5.5 octave sizes available.

4 octave: c3 c7.
4.3 octave: a2 c7. .3 refers 3 semitones below 4 octave instrument. common range.
4.5 octave: f2 c7. .5 means half ;
4.6 octave: e2 c7, 1 semitone below 4.5. useful playing guitar literature , transcriptions.
5 octave: c2 c7, 1 full octave below 4 octave instrument, useful playing cello transcriptions, e.g., j. s. bach s cello suites.
bass range (varies, examples range g1–g3 or c2–f3)

the range of marimba has been gradually expanding, companies marimba 1 adding notes f above normal high c (c7) on 5.5 octave instrument, or marimba tuners adding notes lower low c on 5 octave c2. adding lower notes impractical; bars become bigger , resonators become longer, instrument must taller , mallets must heavier in order produce tone rather percussive attack. adding higher notes impractical because hardness of mallets required produce characteristic tone of marimba hard play in other, lower range on instrument.

the marimba non-transposing instrument no octave displacement, unlike xylophone sounds 1 octave higher written , glockenspiel sounds 2 octaves higher written.

pvc resonators


resonators

part of key marimba s rich sound resonators. these tubes (usually aluminum) hang below each bar.

in traditional versions, various sizes of natural gourds attached below keys act resonators; in more sophisticated versions carved wooden resonators substituted, allowing more precise tuning of pitch. in central america , mexico, hole carved bottom of each resonator , covered delicate membrane taken intestine of pig add characteristic buzzing or rattling sound known charleo. in more contemporary-style marimbas, wood replaced pvc tubing. holes in bottoms of tubes covered thin layer of paper produce buzzing noise.

the length of resonators varies according frequency bar produces. vibrations bars resonate pass through tubes, amplify tone in manner similar way in body of guitar or cello would. in instruments exceeding  4 ⁄2 octaves, length of tubing required bass notes exceeds height of instrument. manufacturers, such demorrow , malletech, compensate bending ends of tubes. involves soldering smaller straight sections of tubes form curved tubes. both demorrow , malletech use brass rather aluminium. others, such adams , yamaha, expand tubes large box-shaped bottoms, resulting in necessary amount of resonating space without having extend tubes. result achieved custom manufacturer marimba 1 widening resonators oval shape, lowest ones reaching foot in width, , doubling tube inside lowest resonators.

resonator tuning involves adjusting stops in tubes compensate temperature , humidity conditions in room instrument stored. companies offer adjustment in upper octaves only. others not have adjustable stops. still companies (malletech , demorrow) offer full range adjustable stops.

on many marimbas, decorative resonators added fill gaps in accidental resonator bank. in addition this, resonator lengths altered form decorative arch, such in musser m-250. not affect resonant properties, because end plugs in resonators still placed @ respective lengths.

mallets

the mallet shaft commonly made of wood, birch, may rattan or fiberglass. common diameter of shaft around 8 mm (⁄4 in). shafts made of rattan have elasticity them, while birch has no give. professionals use both depending on preferences, whether playing 2 mallets or more, , grip use if using four-mallet grip.

appropriate mallets instrument depend on range. material @ end of shaft type of rubber, wrapped yarn. softer mallets used @ lowest notes, , harder mallets used @ highest notes. mallets hard damage instrument, , mallets might appropriate upper range damage notes in lower range (especially on padouk or rosewood instrument). on lower notes, bars larger, , require heavier mallet bring out strong fundamental. because of need use varying hardnesses of mallets, players, when playing 4 or more mallets, might use graduated mallets match bars playing (softer on left, harder on right).

some mallets, called two-toned or multi-tonal , have hard core, loosely wrapped yarn. these designed sound articulate when playing @ loud dynamic, , broader @ quieter dynamics.