xylophone
[English]
A percussion instrument consisting of a row of chromatically tuned wooden bars, arranged in the manner of a piano keyboard. The bars are supported by a wooden frame over resonator tubes and they are sounded by being struck with mallets. Currently, the standard xylophone has a range of three-and-a-half octaves (F3 to C7). Commercial sizes can have as few as three octaves and as many as five octaves. The xylophone sounds one octaves higher than the written note.
Example
Written Range
Sound an octave higher
Camille Saint-Saëns: Le carnaval des animaux, "Fossiles"
Aram Khatchaturian: Gayne Suite No. 1, "Sabre Dance"
See Also
[Abbreviation] Xyl.[Abbreviation] Xil.
[German] Xylophon (n)
[Italian] xilofono (m)
[Spanish] xilófono (m)
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Last Updated: 2016-04-29 22:15:56