How the vibraphone makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the vibraphone belongs to the struck idiophones: the body is struck directly – bells, gongs, xylophones and cymbals.
More broadly it is one of the idiophones, where the solid body of the instrument itself vibrates, without strings or a stretched membrane.
Press play above and watch the spectrum: the evenly spaced peaks are harmonics, and their relative strength is what gives the instrument its character.
From Wikipedia
The vibraphone (also called the vibraharp) is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone is called a vibraphonist, vibraharpist, or vibist.
The vibraphone resembles the steel marimba, which it superseded. One of the main differences between the vibraphone and other keyboard percussion instruments is that each bar suspends over a resonator tube containing a flat metal disc. These discs are attached together by a common axle and spin when the motor is turned on. This causes the instrument to produce its namesake tremolo or vibrato effect. The vibraphone also has a sustain pedal similar to a piano. When the pedal is up, the bars produce a muted sound; when the pedal is down, the bars sustain for several seconds or until again muted with the pedal.
Other struck idiophones
Frequently asked questions
What does a vibraphone sound like?
As one of the struck idiophones, its sound comes from the way the body is struck directly.
What type of instrument is the vibraphone?
It is classified as struck idiophones (Hornbostel–Sachs 111.222).
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q206987 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Vibraphone – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Drummerfrodo – Public domain