Thread: Xylophone?

I thought of doing similar, then decided it was unfair on grand daughter's neighbours.
Actually, if you do want the chance to make VG music a dual layer of "keys" will be needed (dual so they stay within reach). I can't recall the method of precise length differentials but trial and error employing Mrs Shtoo's 'ear' will probably be accurate.
I know of two 'types' - loose keys and static keys; I think loose key is more bass sounding than the fixed key which produces shorter and sharper vibration.
Duh??????
I've really forgotten what I thought I knew.:confused: :confused:

soth

Do a search on Wongos tongue drums, someone included a formula for the individual pieces.
I can't recall what it was under on this forum.

Damn!!! Oh, well, you can't help it if I get the fancies by your suggestion/question, eh? I have found ths:
http://www.tidewater.net/~xylojim/xylocons.html

soth:eek:

There's a great book called Make Your Own Marimba by Jon Madin

http://www.vosa.org/paul/sales_folder/marimba_make.htm

In it there are comprehensive instructions for building everything from a bass monster to a small portable "xylophone".

I've got a small one in pieces at the moment, (half built, not half pulled apart ), ready to incorporate into a coffee table.

They are quite simple to build using hardwood for the keys, although access to a chromatic tuner (about $25.00) would be an advantage (tuning is the hardest bit but needs patience rather than lots of talent if you have a tuner)

Cheers,

P

You need a nice resonant wood to make the keys. Need to be hard and light. You could start off with some good ole ausie hardwood. Maybe 1" x 1/4". You can tell a piece is resonant by holding it between 2 fingers about 1/3 from the top and hit its bottom end with a piece of steel or another bit of wood. You should get a nice musical bonk noise. Your beater can be made od any naterial from soft rubber to brass for different tones. look at this for a starter.

http://www.tidewater.net/~xylojim/edwood.html

It doesn't have to play in concert pitch but you can tune the keys by cutting them shorter to get a higher note. Get any instrument and try to get a note to match the longest key as a starter then simply cut yuor next pieces shorter to get higher notes. You can use formulae but the ancients used their ears and so can you. Formulae will work if your wood is of a similar density throughout. Even so you will still need to be fine tuning it.


you'll have fun and the kids will love it....

Thanks for all the suggestions, muchly thankful.

I have some hard maple, some chinese hardwood like maple, beech, cherry and some oaks to give a try and see what goes bonk the best. Got some other stuff that might work too.

Will have to be a light/soft basher since he will prolly whack himself in the head with it and it would better to not leave a mark. Heck, he is only 3 months old now but acts like a 6 month old.

We shall see what happens, and I'll let you know what works.

Thanks.

African Padauk is an excellent timber for xylophones. Honduras Rosewood is the traditional favourite, but is almost impossible to get hold of. Of the local timbers, sheoak is probably the best. Technical info about tuning both bars and resonators can be found in the book - "Basic Marimba Bar mechanics and Resonator Principals" by Christopher C. Banta (Funhouse Press, California, USA). Good luck.

New guinea rosewood might also be worth a try, I've had some that rang like a bell. It's available locally for bugger all. It's related to padauk too.

Schtoo,
It may not be rocket science but there is some science to this. I made some wind chimes for SWMBO, because all you can buy at the markets are wind clunks.
Things that resonate have a null point 22.24% of their overall length from each end, and that's where you should support them. If you support or have them contact anything anwhere else along their length they clunk instead of resonating.
I used a guitar tuner to tune the chimes, which were alumium tubes. The material thickness, density, type and probably a whole bunch of other factors, determine what length is required, but that 22.24% is important no matter what you use.

Ian

Schtoo,
Try this link http://www.tidewater.net/~xylojim/xylocons.html

I notice he uses 22.5% and that may be close enough but a little bit makes a big difference when using alumium tubing - may not be so critical with timber

Ian

mmmm.... should have read the above posts re the link - sorry

On tonights Prime local news in Tamworth there was a story about some school kids at a primary school at Emmaville built these Xylophones using hard wood decking boards keys and creating the various notes with different lengths and diameters of PVC Sewer and stormwater pipes suspended below the decking board keys.

Not only did they build them they could really get a good tune out of them.