How long is a 5 octave marimba

In addition to the marimba and vibraphone, these mallets can be used on other instruments such as suspended cymbals. This marimba is a fully chromatic instrument with a range of five octaves, C2 — C7.

Parts for it are written in either treble or bass clef, or sometimes on the grand staff, usually at pitch. The marimba is a non-transposing instrument with no octave displacement, unlike the xylophone which sounds one octave higher than written and the glockenspiel which sounds two octaves higher than written. A good marimba will typically cost you as much as a decent piano. When playing the marimba, you should play in the center of the bars. Here are a few to consider:. Not all Marimbas are made of Rosewood.

Marimbas can also be made of Synthetic or Padauk wood. Synthetic wood is a popular material because it is man-made.

This means that this wood would not be affected by outdoor elements and is not nearly as dense as Rosewood. It weighs much less too. By the same token Padauk is a lighter, popular material that is used when making Marimbas because it is much less expensive while producing similar sounds to Rosewood. Analyzing this very basic collection of Marimba weights in the table above, you can clearly see the difference Rosewood or Padauk makes when comparing similar sizes and octave ranges.

If you go through the table, you see that majority of the Marimbas with 5 octave range have bars made of Honduras Rosewood. The frame of the marimba will add to the weight of course and is usually made up of sturdy but lighter weight materials. The resonator pipes are where the majority of the sound is released after you tap your mallets on the bars.

Most resonators are made up of aluminum and are relatively lightweight on their own. It has brilliant tones and a very nice finish; the bars are rosewood and the frame is polished and sturdy. It is also incredibly easy to transport - the entire thing can fit into a minivan! It is ultra portable and sounds amazing! Definitely buy this! You may not have JavaScript enabled.

The beauty of her music and performances has inspired thousands of musicians to choose the marimba as their preferred instrument. Today, 35 years later, we can see the results of this innovation that Yamaha brought into existence. Not only has there been a surge of musicians choosing to play the marimba, along with a huge increase in repertoire, the 5-octave marimba has become the standard instrument for serious study and performance. Click here for more information about Keiko Abe.

Click here for more information about Yamaha marimbas. All rights reserved. Terms of Use Privacy Policy Accessibility. BY Rebecca Kite November 19, Learn more about Rebecca.