Marimba musical instrument. Marimba - musical instrument - history, photos, videos. Marimba in modern academic music

Marimba. marimba (marimba, name of African origin), musical instrument, a type of xylophone. Distributed in Southern Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Brazil. Consists of a set of wooden plates of various sizes with... ... Encyclopedic reference book "Latin America"

marimba- Marimba. marimba, African percussion musical instrument. Type of xylophone. Consists of wooden plates (up to 20), mounted horizontally on 2 metal or bamboo slats. A suspended resonator made of... ... is placed under each plate. Encyclopedic reference book "Africa"

MARIMBA- African percussion musical instrument such as a xylophone... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

MARIMBA- A type of percussion instrument among African blacks. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910 ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

marimba- noun, number of synonyms: 2 instrument (541) xylophone (7) ASIS synonym dictionary. V.N. Trishin. 2013… Synonym dictionary

MARIMBA Ethnographic Dictionary

marimba- marimba, a percussion instrument among the peoples of Africa a type of xylophone made of wooden planks with resonators made of hollow pumpkins. Also distributed in Latin America... Encyclopedia "Peoples and Religions of the World"

MARIMBA- a percussion musical instrument consisting of wooden blocks mounted on a frame, which are struck with mallets. Sometimes several (two or more) performers play it at the same time. The marimba differs from the xylophone in that the sound produced... Collier's Encyclopedia

marimba- a percussion musical instrument such as a xylophone, of African origin. * * * MARIMBA MARIMBA, an African percussion musical instrument of the xylophone type (see XYLOPHONE) ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Marimba- a percussion instrument among the peoples of Africa, a type of xylophone made of wooden planks with resonators made of hollow pumpkins. Also distributed in Latin America... Ethnographic Dictionary

Books

• Marimba! , Natalia Terentyeva. "Marimba!" is a motley mosaic of fascinating, tender and touching stories. The life of a small Moscow family, in which there is only a mother and daughter, is filled with light, humor and warmth. Daughter... Buy for 139 rubles eBook
• Marimba! , Natalia Terentyeva. MARIMBA! is a motley mosaic of fascinating, tender and touching stories. The life of a small Moscow family, in which there is only a mother and daughter, is filled with light, humor and warmth. Daughter…

Consisting of wooden blocks mounted on a frame, which are struck with mallets, a relative. The marimba differs from the xylophone in that the sound produced by each bar is amplified by a wooden or metal resonator or a pumpkin suspended underneath it.

Marimba has a rich, soft and deep timbre that allows you to achieve expressive sound.

The marimba originated in Malaysia and then became a common instrument in Africa, Mexico, Central and North America.

Currently, the marimba is known as a solo instrument. Used in different musical genres, from classical to avant-garde music; pop and jazz. Some composers have used the marimba in works for symphony orchestra.

Related percussion instruments are , . The original version of the marimba is found in the music of the peoples of Africa, South America, Indonesia, and the Far East.

Device

Most often, the instrument's plates are made of natural Honduran rosewood or rosewood, arranged and tuned according to the principle of a chromatic piano keyboard. The plates are located above metal resonator pipes, making the sound thick and voluminous.

The standard range of the instrument is 4 or 4.3 octaves. In recent years, instruments with 5- and even 6-octave keyboards have appeared. Instruments of this class are rare, intended exclusively for solo playing, and are often made individually.

Playing technique

The modern technique of playing the marimba involves playing with several sticks at the same time. Usually 2-4 sticks are used, less often - 5-6. The instrument can perform melodies, harmonies, and virtuosic passages.

Many types of sticks (mallets) with tips made of rubber, wood or plastic are available for playing the marimba. As a rule, the tips are wrapped with wool or cotton threads. The selection of sticks allows the musician to obtain a whole range of different timbres, from a sharp clicking, “xylophone”, to a soft one reminiscent of a church organ.

Sometimes the marimba is played by several (two or more) performers at the same time.

Marimba in modern academic music

Marimba was used in their compositions:

Olivier Messiaen(Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Francis of Assisi)
Toru Takemitsu(Rain Tree)
Franco Donatoni
Karen Tanaka(Tales of Trees)
Jennifer Higdon(Splendid Woods)
Nebojsa Zivkovic(two concertos for marimba and orchestra)
Yi Chen(Sound of the Five)
Marjan Mozetić(Concerto for bassoon, marimba and string orchestra)
Andrey Doinikov(Frolic-romance)
and other contemporary composers.

Known among marimba performers Michiko Takahashi(Gaudeamus Prize, 1973).

Video: Marimba on video + sound

A video with this tool will appear in the encyclopedia very soon!

Sale: where to buy/order?

The encyclopedia does not yet contain information about where you can buy or order this instrument. You can change this!

is a percussion musical instrument. This is a relative of the xylophone, with which the marimba is related. The marimba consists of wooden blocks mounted on a frame, which are struck with mallets. The wooden blocks are called keys, which are usually made from hormiguillo wood (Platymiscium dimorphandrum). The marimba, like the xylophone, can be played simultaneously by two players. What distinguishes a marimba from a xylophone is the quality of its sound. The fact is that the sound produced by each marimba bar is amplified by a wooden or metal resonator or a pumpkin suspended under it. There are even opinions that the marimba is an improved xylophone - with resonators and a wider sound range. However, we should not forget that the xylophone and marimba are different instruments with their own history and sound style.
The origin of the marimba is still controversial. There are three versions about this. According to the first version, marimba originated on the African continent, in Angola. According to the second version, marimba was born in Indonesia, and according to the third version, marimba comes from the ancient Mayan culture. The third version is confirmed by an archaeological find. The ceremonial vase from Rathinlinshul, now in the University of Pennsylvania Museum, USA, bears the image of a musician with a marimba-like instrument. But still, which version is original and true remains a mystery.
There are many legends associated with marimba. According to one of them, existing in the myth of the inhabitants of South Africa, there once lived a goddess named Marimba. One day she created a tool by hanging pumpkins below wooden blocks. This fact is now cited as the source of the instrument's name.
Marimba has become a native instrument not only for the inhabitants of Africa, but also for the inhabitants of Guatemala, Mexico and some other Latin American countries. Over time, pumpkin resonators replaced wooden ones, and the diatonic system gave way to the chromatic one.
It was the Latin American marimba that was taken as a basis by John K. Deegan for further reconstruction. John C. Deegan, a renowned acoustician and percussion instrument builder, fundamentally changed the ancient marimba. He replaced the wooden resonators with metal ones and set the standard for its tuning. He also proved that rosewood is the best acoustic conductor for marimba tone plates. Deegan did not limit himself to theoretical study of the instrument, he wanted its mass distribution, so his company J.C. Deagan, Inc." established industrial mass production of marimbas.
Marimba Digana is a standard of quality and is a museum value. The instrument never stopped improving. He has improved both externally and internally. His expressive capabilities have expanded. Marimba rose from the sphere of mass musical culture to the field of academic classical art and conquered the whole world. In the fifties of the twentieth century, marimba spread to Japan and immediately captivated the public. Japanese composers wrote works for marimba, and the Japanese school of marimba was also founded. Keiko Abe, a famous marimbist, has gained worldwide popularity thanks to her performing arts.
The timbre of the marimba is unique - it is multifaceted and combines soft and rich sounds, allowing you to achieve an expressive sound.
The technique of playing the marimba is the use of several sticks at the same time. You can use from two to six sticks. The instrument can perform various types of compositions - melodies, harmonies, virtuosic passages. Many types of sticks with tips made of rubber, wood or plastic are available for playing the marimba. The tips are wrapped with wool or cotton threads. The selection of sticks allows the musician to achieve a whole range of different timbres, from sharp and clicking to soft and gentle.
The range of the instrument is four octaves. In recent years, instruments have appeared with a large range - up to six octaves. Instruments of this class are quite rare and are intended for solo play. They are often made individually.
At the end of the twentieth century, marimba firmly established itself in the musical life of Western Europe. In America, the marimba is used in popular music.
Nowadays the marimba is known as a solo instrument. It is successfully used in various musical genres, from classical to avant-garde music. Some composers use marimba in works for symphony orchestra, which gives the musical picture a special flavor.

So, after a long break, I continue my excursion into the world of percussion.
Today we will talk about an instrument with a living soul, a gentle voice and a character so similar to mine.

Literally, the word marimba means “wooden percussion instrument” and is common among the natives of Africa and the northern tip of South America.

The history of this instrument goes back to ancient times.
Marimba is not just a piece of wood, Marimba is the name of an African goddess.
Actually, according to legend, she gave people this wonderful instrument, which previously looked very simple: a wooden plate and under it an empty pumpkin instead of resonators. According to legend, at the moment the stick hit the plate, in addition to the beautiful sound, miraculous healing occurred.

Official mentions of the marimba as an African xylophone date back to the beginning of the 17th century.
This instrument, as their native, home musical instrument, was used in many places in Africa and, above all, by the Mandingo tribes in West Africa, Southern Cameroon and French Congo, as well as in the southern reaches of the Congo River and in the middle - Zambezi.
The same instrument was also used by the Bantu tribes who inhabited the Northern Transvaal. This type of marimba consisted of well-tuned wooden blocks, mounted on an appropriate mat at the level of one plane, or on an arc facing upward with its ends.
The sound was produced using sticks - wooden or bone - it is not known exactly. But the most important thing was that the African marimba in its most perfect form had resonators in the form of pipe-shaped sausages suspended under each block.
Thus, black slaves, when they arrived in the countries of Central and the northern tip of South America, could bring with them not only the essence of this instrument, but also, more likely, the instrument itself.

We owe the emergence of the modern improved marimba to John Calhoun Deegan - first a clarinetist, then a xylophonist - who not only transferred the xylophone blocks to a wooden base-frame, replacing the straw with felt, but also placed a separate improved resonator under each block. Having thus laid the foundation for the emergence of the marimbaphone or xylorimba, he achieved such significant success that “he was soon able to give the orchestra a new and original instrument, which became especially widespread in ensembles playing Latin and jazz.

I confess that the melodic sounds of the marimba have a hypnotic effect on me. I can listen to the singing of this instrument for hours, mentally transporting myself to the tropical coasts.
And recently I even had a chance to play the marimba (Yamaha - YM-2400, pictured above) and my delight knew no bounds.

Marimba has a rich, soft and deep timbre that allows you to achieve expressive sound. The modern technique of playing the marimba involves playing with several sticks at the same time. Usually 2-4 sticks are used, less often - 5-6. The instrument can perform melodies, harmonies, and virtuosic passages.

Most often, the instrument's plates are made of natural Honduran rosewood or rosewood, arranged and tuned according to the principle of a chromatic piano keyboard. The plates are located above metal resonator pipes, making the sound thick and voluminous.
The standard range of the instrument is 4 or 4.3 octaves. In recent years, instruments with 5- and even 6-octave keyboards have appeared. Instruments of this class are rare, intended exclusively for solo playing, and are often made individually.

Many types of sticks (mallets) with tips made of rubber, wood or plastic are available for playing the marimba. As a rule, the tips are wrapped with wool or cotton threads. The selection of sticks allows the musician to obtain a whole range of different timbres, from a sharp clicking, “xylophone”, to a soft one reminiscent of a church organ.

The result of my acquaintance with marimba
(don’t judge strictly, this is my first time...)
Dedicated