Meet the Xylophone and Mallet Percussion Instruments | Omaha Symphony Virtual Instruments

Explore pitched mallet percussion instruments, including the xylophone, vibraphone, marimba, and glockenspiel, with the Omaha Symphony Orchestra! The xylophone is a fun and colorful member of the percussion family—and it’s full of music and melody! The word xylophone means “wood sound.” It has a row of wooden bars that are each a different length. When you strike the bars with mallets, they make musical notes— just like playing a song on the piano! That means the xylophone is a pitched percussion instrument, because it can play notes and melodies.

Each bar makes a different sound: short bars make high sounds, and long bars make low sounds. Underneath each bar is a tube (called a resonator) that helps make the sound louder and brighter. You’ll often hear the xylophone in orchestras, bands, and even cartoons! It can sound bouncy, sparkly, or playful.

This resource provides learning tools such as a tour of the xylophone in 3D, vocabulary, and examples of the instrument.