The range of the instruments, their pitches, the mallets used with them, and their resonators are the differences between a xylophone and a marimba. Both instruments are percussive, with beaters striking wooden keys, but their characteristics differ. The marimba, like the xylophone, can produce lower notes. Notes on the xylophone also sound higher in pitch than they are written in musical notation. Both the xylophone and the marimba use resonators to amplify the sound, but the marimba’s resonators are longer.
One feature that distinguishes the xylophone and marimba is their ranges. The number of octaves that an instrument can play is referred to as its range. An octave is a twelve-note range from A to G sharp. The range of a xylophone is two and a half to four octaves. Marimbas have a wider range, ranging from three to five octaves.
A xylophone and a marimba can be distinguished by the actual pitch produced by the instrument as opposed to the pitch written in musical notation. The pitch of xylophones is one octave higher than the written pitch. When played on a xylophone, a middle C (C4), which is one line below the treble clef staff, will actually become a high C (C5). The notes are played on the marimbas as they are written. A xylophone’s lowest note is middle C, but marimbas can go up to two octaves lower.
With xylophones and marimbas, different mallets are used. Both use wooden core mallets, but xylophone mallets are wrapped in a more durable material. The instrument’s high, biting tone comes from this, which is usually rubber or plastic. When marimba mallets are struck, they are coated in cord or yarn to produce a more mellow tone. The brightness or mellowness of the tone is also influenced by the cutting style used on the keys.
On the xylophone and marimba, the resonators used to amplify the sound are different lengths. Resonators are metal tubes that run from the bottom of the keys all the way down to the ground. The xylophone’s larger keys have larger resonators, which means that the length of the resonators decreases as the key size increases. Long resonators are found on both the largest and smallest keys of a marimba, forming an arch of long tubes beneath the instrument. On a marimba, the smallest resonators are about the same size as the longest resonators on a xylophone.
The xylophone and marimba are frequently used in a variety of musical situations. Symphony orchestras and concert bands are more likely to use xylophones. Marimbas, on the other hand, are frequently found in much smaller musical ensembles and are occasionally used alone.