How the xylorimba makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the xylorimba 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 xylorimba (sometimes referred to as xylo-marimba or marimba-xylophone) is a pitched percussion instrument similar to an extended-range xylophone with a range identical to some 5-octave celestas or 5-octave marimbas, though typically an octave higher than the latter. Despite its name, it is not a combination of a xylophone and a marimba; its name has been a source of confusion, as many composers have called for a 'xylorimba', including Alban Berg, Pierre Boulez and Olivier Messiaen, but for parts requiring only a four-octave xylophone. However, Pierre Boulez wrote for two five-octave xylorimbas in Pli selon pli.
Other struck idiophones
Questions people ask
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Frequently asked questions
What does a xylorimba 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 xylorimba?
It is classified as struck idiophones (Hornbostel–Sachs 111.21).
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q845193 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Xylorimba – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Xylosmygame – CC BY-SA 3.0