It is quite obvious that a child’s first musical instruments should be as simple and accessible as possible. Take, for example, the drum, maracas or pipes, the process of playing which even a two-year-old toddler can master. However, with their help it is unlikely that it will be possible to introduce a child to the world of art. Another thing is xylophones and metallophones, where each plate corresponds to a specific note. Both of these tools have characteristic features, which will be discussed in our article.
Definitions
XylophoneXylophone– a self-sounding musical instrument of a percussion group. It consists of chromatically tuned wooden blocks of varying lengths arranged in a row. The plates are mounted on a stand and tuned to specific notes. The xylophone is distributed throughout the world, but is most popular in Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America. To extract sound from the blocks, you need to hit them with special wooden hammers or sticks with ball-shaped tips, which are included with the instrument. The first mention of the xylophone dates back to the 16th century. At that time, the instrument was a rather primitive device consisting of related friend with a friend of two dozen wooden plates. To extract sound they had to be laid out on a flat surface. Due to its ease of transportation, the instrument was actively used by traveling musicians. The xylophone was improved in the 1830s.
Glockenspiel Glockenspiel- percussion musical instrument. It consists of a series of plates fixed horizontally around the perimeter of a wooden body. To produce sound, you need to hit them with special sticks or hammers. The instrument got its name due to the material from which the plates are made. Obviously, we are talking about metal, in most cases brass or bronze. The ancestor of the modern musical attribute was the glockenspiel, which came from Asia and was based on bells. In the 19th century they were replaced by metal plates.
Comparison
As can be seen from the above definitions, the main difference between musical instruments lies in the material used to make the plates. The xylophone consists of wooden blocks arranged in a row. The plates of the second tool are made exclusively of metal. This explains their louder and more sonorous sound. The xylophone plays much quieter and more interesting. As a result of hitting the plates with a wooden hammer, you can hear dull, but at the same time quite pleasant sounds that do not hurt the ear. If we talk about a professional instrument, then in a forte its timbre is sharp and clicking, while in a piano it is soft and gurgling. This sound gives the xylophone a special charm.
Both instruments under consideration are divided into two main types. Diatonic xylophones and metallophones consist of a single row of plates that follow the arrangement of white keys on a piano. Such simple instruments are often used as toys for children and are made in the appropriate design. Musical attributes of the chromatic type have a more complex structure and deeper sound. The plates in them are arranged in two rows, similar to white and black piano keys. The capabilities of such tools are much wider, but mastering them will be much more difficult. Another difference between a xylophone and a metallophone is that the former is often used in a symphony orchestra. His parts are included in the works of famous composers. The metallophone is considered primarily an amateur and even children's instrument. While its related bells are often present in the orchestra.
To summarize, what is the difference between a xylophone and a metallophone.
Metallophone... Spelling dictionary-reference book
GLOCKENSPIEL- (Greek metallon metal, and phone sound). Xylophone in which wooden plates are replaced with metal ones. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. metallophone (see metal + ... background) the general name of a group of muses ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
glockenspiel- bell, vibraphone, glockenspiel, xylophone, gong Dictionary of Russian synonyms. metallophone noun, number of synonyms: 6 vibraphone (2) ... Synonym dictionary
GLOCKENSPIEL- [alo], metallophone, husband. (from the Greek metallon metal and phone sound) (music). A percussion musical instrument consisting of a series of steel plates of different lengths, fastened with cords. Ushakov's explanatory dictionary. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
GLOCKENSPIEL- Nowadays, there are quite a few instruments in which the sound arises from the vibration of an elastic metal body. These are triangles, gongs, bells, cymbals and other percussion instruments. All of them are united by a common name... ... Musical dictionary
Glockenspiel- a musical instrument sometimes used in an orchestra (Carillon, Glockenspiel). It consists of a number of steel plates of different lengths, supported at their nodal points by laces or straw strands. Pitch, i.e. the number of vibrations in ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron
Glockenspiel- m. A percussion musical instrument consisting of a series of specially selected metal plates, which are struck with wooden mallets. Ephraim's explanatory dictionary. T. F. Efremova. 2000... Modern explanatory dictionary of the Russian language by Efremova
glockenspiel- he’s a metallover, and... Russian spelling dictionary
glockenspiel- (2 m); pl. metallophones, R. metallophones... Spelling dictionary of the Russian language
glockenspiel- Metal plates bilgele ber tәrtiptә tezep eshlәngәn һәm agach chүkechcheklәr beәn sugyp uyny torgan music corals… Tatar telen anlatmaly suzlege
Books
- Educational set "Little musician" according to the method of M. Lazarev, . Educational set "Little Musician" for children from 1 to 5 years old, aimed at developing the child's creative abilities and teaching him to play musical instruments. Contains: 15 cards...
XYLOPHONE
Ding-ding, tone-tone,
Xylo-xylo-xylo-phone.
The xylophone climbed onto the closet,
He was scared of the flamingo.
- You, flamingo, wait!
Don't knock too hard with your beak,
Better take a stick.
And you will hear a gentle ringing.
Just a miracle - the xylophone.
"Xylophone" translated from Greek means singing tree. The first xylophone may have appeared when a primitive man hit a dry tree with a stick and heard an unusual sound. Currently, similar simple xylophones are found in Africa, Asia and South America. It was brought to Europe by traveling musicians.
The xylophone consists of large quantity wooden blocks that make sounds when struck different heights. The bars are made from maple, alder, walnut, and sometimes rosewood. They are placed on a braided rope made of straw, matting or rubber. The structure is usually installed on a table; sometimes resonators—hollow metal cylinders—are fixed under the blocks. The xylophone sound is abrupt, dry and clicking. It is removed using “goat legs” - wooden sticks with thickenings at the ends, similar to spoons.
Sometimes metal blocks are used instead of wooden blocks. This is a metallophone or vibraphone. All the records are located on the same level, while on the xylophone the bars corresponding to the black keys of the piano are slightly raised. The vibraphone is a complex structure. It is placed on a special three-frame table-stand, moved on four wheels. Appeared in the USA at the beginning of the 20th century. Due to its characteristic timbre and great virtuoso capabilities, the vibraphone is widely used in music.
But if you attach a keyboard mechanism like a piano to a metallophone, you get a celesta instrument. It was made by master Auguste Muster in 1886. It is more convenient to play the celesta than with sticks on a metallophone. And the sound is just as gentle and sonorous. During his visit to Paris, P. I. Tchaikovsky heard the celesta and was so fascinated by its magical sound that he introduced the part of this instrument into his works: the ballad “The Voevoda” and the ballet “The Nutcracker.”
The xylophone was first used in an orchestra by Ferdinand Kauer in the mid-19th century. in the work "Seven Variations". One of the most famous works in which the xylophone is used is Saint-Saëns’ symphonic poem “Dance of Death”. The Russian composer Rimsky-Korsakov in “The Tale of Tsar Saltan” assigned the xylophone the song “In the garden, in the vegetable garden” to depict a squirrel gnawing golden nuts.
Musical instrument: Xylophone
French composer C. Saint-Saens , inspired by the engravings of the 15th century German artist Hans Holbein, wrote a symphonic poem with the chilling title " Dance of Death " During the premiere performance of this work, some of the listeners became numb with fear, as if a truly terrible skeleton with hollow eye sockets in its skull and with a rusty scythe was dancing a terrible dance, knocking its bones. How did the composer manage to so artistically create a creepy image and achieve such an effect? The author was helped to portray such a character so frighteningly by a musical instrument whose name is xylophone.
History and variety interesting facts Read about this musical instrument on our page.
Sound
To figuratively describe the sound of a xylophone, you certainly need to recall the works of the great Russian composer A. Lyadov, his symphonic pictures “Kikimora” and “Baba Yaga” , where the ominous clatter of the teeth of the terrible kikimora and the rapidly rushing witch breaking dried branches on her way are very expressively depicted. The inclusion of a xylophone in the musical palette is usually associated with a feature of the plot or a unique experience. Due to its dry, clicking, somewhat skeletal coloration, the sound of this instrument is wonderfully used in visual designs. For example, the song of a squirrel gnawing nuts, in “ The Tale of Tsar Saltan " ON THE. Rimsky-Korsakov commissioned the xylophone.
Sometimes the timbre color of the instrument’s sound evokes a gloomy mood, and sometimes it gives rise to intricate, ugly-comic images, or it sounds melancholy in Symphony No. 7 by D. Shostakovich , in the "Invasion" episode.
The sound of a xylophone, which largely depends on the skill of the musician, can be very diverse: ominous, terrifying and piercing, or it can be light, gentle and soulful. On "forte" the xylophone sounds sharp and ringing, on "piano" it sounds warm and velvety.
Range The sound of a xylophone is quite wide - it is four octaves of musical sounds.
Photo:
Interesting Facts:
- The xylophone was very popular in the ragtime genre at the beginning of the twentieth century, and also in the 70s of the last century, when the revival of the genre began.
- Until the 40s of the last century, the xylophone was very actively used in jazz bands, until it was replaced by the vibraphone, and the xylophone also regularly appeared and was very popular in American musicals in the first half of the 20th century.
- In the African state of Senegal, the xylophone is used in the initiation rite of boys and girls.
- The xylophone is very often used in film production for scoring films in the horror genre.
- On the African continent, in many countries, the xylophone is recognized as a national instrument; it is played in groups, sometimes up to six instruments, both at holidays and at funerals.
- The xylophone is actively used in scoring animated films; an example is the popular animated series “The Flintstones.”
- The peoples of Africa have many varieties of xylophones; for example, there are giant xylophones that can be played by 4 people at the same time.
- Famed xylophonist Green George Hamilton was assigned to voice the moving carriage on his instrument in the first three Walt Disney films.
- The largest of the gaming xylophones is 8 m long, 2.5 m high and 2 m wide, it was made by B. Mamoto from Indonesia in 2009. His weight was 3168 kg.
- In many African countries The xylophone is used for practical purposes: to scare away monkeys, birds and other garden pests.
- The largest xylophone ensemble consisted of 1,223 members and performed at the Maesa Tondano Stadium in Indonesia for the Culture and Arts Festival on October 31, 2009.
- Red Norvo was not only a popular actor, but also a renowned xylophonist who was one of the first to introduce the xylophone into jazz.
- The American rock band Violent Femmes recorded a video in 1982 in which the xylophone was the main instrument.
- In Asia, empty pumpkins are used as resonators for xylophones.
- At the opera house, the xylophone was used for the first time in opera "Hansel and Gretel" E. Humperdinck in 1893.
- The mallets used by xylophonists are affectionately called “goat feet.”
- For orchestras or individual instrumentalists, xylophone manufacturers make instruments in a variety of sizes, from small piccolos to large bass models.
Works for xylophone
A. Hovaness - Fantasy on themes from Japanese prints for xylophone and orchestra (listen)
E. Glenny - Concertino for xylophone and orchestra
Xylophone design
The modern xylophone is an instrument with a fairly simple design, consisting of a frame on which are attached two rows of wooden blocks, arranged like piano keys and having a certain pitch. The shorter the bar, the higher the sound and vice versa. Each key (bar) lies on a special soft pad, which is made of foam rubber.
The xylophone keys are carved from rosewood, alder, rosewood, maple, and walnut, which is aged for two years and then carefully processed. The keys have standard size– 3.8 cm wide and 2.5 cm thick, length depends on the required pitch. Then they are laid out at a certain distance and secured with cords. Under the keys there are special metal tubes whose role is to increase the sound volume. These are tubes - resonators that give volume to the sound and make it brighter and richer. They are very carefully processed and adjusted to match the tone of the plate.
When playing, the performer usually uses thin wooden sticks, similar to small spoons, with plastic, rubber or wooden tips. There are usually two sticks, but depending on the professionalism of the musician there can be 3 or 4. The xylophonist chooses the sticks and tips that are most suitable for the nature of the music, to reproduce a certain sound mood.
An instrument for professional performers is usually placed on a special stand, the level of which varies depending on the position of the performer - sitting or standing.
Varieties of xylophone
The xylophone family is very large and diverse - it is one of the most famous ethnic musical instruments. Every nation has its own xylophone. On the African, Asian and American continents, xylophones exist in many various forms and with big amount names Here are some of them:
- Balafon popular in Angola, Guinea, Mali, Madagascar, Cameroon, Congo, Senegal, Gambia, Ivory Coast.
- Timbila is the national instrument of Mozambique.
- Mokkin- xylophone from Japan.
- Marimba– very common in Mexico and Central America.
- Vibraphone and bells (metallophones) - varieties of xylophone, the sound plates of which are made not of wood, but of metal - all these instruments share the same structure.
Application
Very for a long time The xylophone was used only in folk music, but after significant transformations, the range of its use grew significantly. Many orchestras - symphony, pop, folk, brass, big band - include in their repertoire works that the xylophone embellishes with its sound. There are also ensembles that include only percussion instruments and xylophones, among others. Today, these self-sufficient high-pitched percussion instruments, their extraordinary sound, encourage musicians to form groups in which performers play only this group of instruments, among which the Marimba Mix ensemble from St. Petersburg should be noted.
Currently, the xylophone is used in various musical genres - folk, Latin American, classical music , ragtime, musical, jazz , sometimes even rock, etc.
Many composers used the figurative sound of the xylophone in their compositions: D. Shostakovich in the ballet suite “The Golden Age”, A. Khachaturyan in the ballet "Gayane" ( famous saber dance ), I. Stravinsky in the ballet “Petrushka”, V. Oransky in the ballet “Three Fat Men”, D. Klebanov in the ballet “The Little Stork” and others.
The xylophone can often be heard on stage as a solo instrument, and here the performers are very lucky, since masterpieces of great composers written for violin, flute, and piano sound beautifully on it. But still the xylophone did not go unnoticed. P. Creston, M. de Falla, A. Hovaness, D. Corigliano, S. Slonimsky, A. Aslamas, V. Blok, J. Delecluse, A. Jacques, B. Moshkov, D. Paliev, O. Chishko, E Khandzhiev and many others composed their works for him.
Famous artists
Performing virtuoso works on the xylophone is only possible for truly talented performers. The first virtuoso musician who fully revealed the technical and expressive capabilities of the instrument, and also seriously influenced the next generation of performers, was its creator, M. Guzkov
The successful development of xylophone performance was facilitated by the emergence of a whole galaxy of virtuoso musicians, among them: K. Mikheev, I. Troyanov, M. Eichhorn, M. Raskatov, M. Maslovsky, V. Shteiman, O. Khvedkevich, A. Emelyanov, N. Kurganova, V. Snegirev, A. Ogorodnikov, K. Fishkin, T. Egorova, E. Galoyan, Red Norvo, Zeleny D. Hamilton, H. Breuer, B. Becker, E. Glenny, I. Finkel, A. Poddubny, A. Reshetova and many others.
Story
The history of the xylophone began a very long time ago, about two thousand years BC. On the walls of ancient temples there are images of people playing music on instruments that resemble a xylophone. Art historians are heatedly debating where the homeland of this instrument is located: some believe Africa, others Asia, and others intend to prove that Latin America - an impressive number of simple xylophones were found on these continents.
There is still no definite information - it is only known that this instrument appeared in ancient times, and the first xylophone were simple wooden blocks, which, when struck, produced a sound pleasant to the human ear. Then the bars were tied in a certain way and they began to play music on them.
Variations of the xylophone have existed for many years in many cultures.
Ancient frescoes indicate that the instrument came to the European continent in the 15th century, but did not become widespread, remaining mainly an instrument of traveling musicians. The design of the xylophone of that time was quite simple and consisted of interconnected blocks of different lengths, which were quickly laid out on a flat surface. They played it with sticks made from willow wood in the shape of small spoons. The xylophone's sound capabilities were very limited.
Only in the first half of the 19th century did the design of the instrument undergo fundamental changes. The xylophone owes a significant transformation to the Belarusian dulcimer player M. Guzikov, who increased the range of the instrument to two and a half octaves of the chromatic scale, adding the number of plates and arranging them in a certain order in 4 rows. The appearance of the instrument changed, the sound became more rich and pleasant, since the sound plates were placed on straw tubes, which served as a sound resonator. This design became the basis of the current xylophone and was subsequently used for a hundred years.
After significant changes in the design, the instrument was turned to Special attention composers and professional musicians. The xylophone became part of the symphony orchestra, and later entered the concert stage, becoming a solo instrument. Problems with the repertoire for solo performances of xylophonists were solved in a certain way: various arrangements and transcriptions of popular works were made.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the design of the xylophone underwent a number of significant changes; it was transformed from a four-row to a two-row. The bars were arranged like piano keys, the range increased by half an octave, which increased the capabilities of the instrument and made almost the entire violin repertoire accessible for performance.
Xylophone is a very significant and beloved instrument all over the world. Music enthusiasts hope that the popularity of the xylophone will increase year by year and it will surely be a valuable member of the orchestra due to its unique sound. It constitutes the world's cultural heritage and walks with man through time, bringing joy and peace into his life.
Xylophone
The Flight FX-12R xylophone is a must-buy for every child or adult; the xylophone is made of wood, and unlike the metallophone, it has an unusually pleasant sound!
The xylophone is a great choice as a baby's first instrument!
The melodic sound of the xylophone will bring pleasure to the baby and parents, the learning process is very simple and accessible, this is an ideal solution for the initial musical training of the baby. The xylophone keys correspond to the white keys of the piano, and the baby will easily master a new instrument - melodica, piano or synthesizer, or even an accordion, playing already familiar melodies.
To teach kids, we have prepared colored stickers for the keys, thanks to which you can play according to the Seven Flowers method. Place the stickers on the top of the keys, choose a song, and start playing - colored notes require no musical knowledge!
Xylophone- a percussion musical instrument, has ancient origins - the simplest instruments of this type are found among different nations Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America. In Europe, the first mentions of the xylophone date back to the beginning of the 16th century. It is a series of wooden blocks of different sizes, tuned to certain notes, which are struck with sticks. The instrument can be used both solo and in an ensemble.
Specifications:
- Xylophone FLIGHT FX-12R
- Has 12 keys
- 2 sticks included
- Set of colored stickers
- Composition: wood, metal, fabric
- Xylophone tuning: from lower A on large keys to upper E on small keys.
Before - red,
Re-orange,
Mi - yellow,
Fa - green,
Salt - blue,
La - blue,
Si – purple.
When playing the xylophone, place the large keys on the left.
The order of the stickers from large keys to small ones is blue, purple, red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple, red, orange, yellow.
“Every hunter wants to know where the pheasant is sitting!”
Now you can play according to the “SEMIFLOWER” method.
"SEVEN-FLOWER" METHOD for xylophone 12 keys
We place the large xylophone keys on the left, the small ones on the right.
Large keys are low tones, small keys are high. The smaller the key, the higher the sound.
Pitch Notes- on the xylophone diagram there are 2 sizes of keys, from large to small from left to right. They indicate the pitch of a note. Large keys are played on the left side of the xylophone, small keys on the right.
The height of the rectangle in the diagram will indicate the corresponding key in height.
Duration– the width of the keys indicates the duration of the note.
A square is half, half a square is a quarter, etc. The thinner the note, the shorter the duration.
Exclusive Semitsvetik technique, step by step.
- Learning to play the "Seven-flowered" pattern on the xylophone
- Learning notes by verse
- We remember the visual correspondence of the melody to the written colored notes.
- Melodies and songs are selected according to the repertoire of piano textbooks for primary education
- We switch to the piano, playing familiar melodies.
From xylophone to piano.
The xylophone keys are located in the same way as the piano keys, this formed the basis of the Semitsvetik teaching method. We use a xylophone with colored keys as the baby’s first instrument; we play the xylophone according to the Seven-Color pattern. The bottom line is that, having learned to play the xylophone, the child will easily move on to playing the piano. At the same time, he will not only learn to play, but will also know the notes, their names and locations. We tried to select melodies that traditionally begin learning with, so the child will be familiar with the repertoire in advance and will easily master playing any instrument.
Xylophones are made from natural wood, are set to 40 percent humidity; if the humidity changes, the tuning may change slightly. As humidity increases, the pitch decreases; as humidity decreases, it increases. If the tuning changes significantly, you can adjust the xylophone yourself:
- to lower the tone, sand the key from below or make a notch in AVERAGE parts, on the bottom plane
- to increase the tone, sand the bottom of the key EDGES(on the lower plane of the protruding parts).
FLIGHT FX-12R Xylophone (12 notes)