How a Marimba is Made
Achieving a uniform character
Tone plates have their own characters?
Tone plates that have been left to rest for a certain amount of time after the rough tuning is completed have their characters checked one by one.
Character refers to the personality of the tones, in such terms as hard, soft, bright, or dark. If tone plates with the same character are not used to make a marimba, then it will leave listeners with the impression that it is not a very well-ordered instrument.
Through this process, tone plates are assembled and combined into a single set while checking how well balanced the tones are.
A room in which tone plates are lined up for testing their sounds
No two instruments are identical!
The marimba, which is made by assembling tone plates of matching characters, could be called an instrument for which no two are exactly alike. Consequently, many marimba players visit factories to select their instruments. Performers' tastes vary according to individual preference: Some might focus on the lower notes, others might pay attention to the higher notes, yet others might be swayed by the feeling in the hands when the instrument is struck, and so forth. To each his own.
These tone plates lined up in a row are all autographed by marimba players from around the world!
Musical Instrument Guide : Marimba Contents
Origins
Structure
- What kind of instrument is the marimba?
- Inside and outside the resonator pipes
- There is craft to the design of the tone plates, too
- [Experiment1]Tone plate sanding depth and sound pitch experiment
- [Experiment2]Tone plate sanding location and sound pitch experiment
- [Experiment3]Try changing the material of the resonator pipes