What Musical Family Does the Xylophone Belong to

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A xylophone is a percussion musical instrument that consists of musical keys that a musician strikes with mallets. You can utilise wood or electrical metallic tubing to make your ain xylophone at home. If you measure out the xylophone's materials and put it together carefully, a homemade xylophone tin work just every bit well as storebought options. Once y'all pair your xylophone with a set of wooden mallets, your xylophone volition be finished and ready to use in no time!

1. i

   Choose a dumbo, difficult wood to brand your xylophone keys with. The dense and sturdier the forest is, the clearer your sound will exist. Your xylophone will also be more than resistant to scratches and dings if made from a hard piece of forest.^[ane]

   • Rosewood is recommended as an ideal and traditional forest for xylophones. Cedar wood, cardinal woods and regal heartwood are also popular choices.^[2]

2. 2

   Cut your wood into 9 ane.5 in (iii.8 cm) wide strips. Put on condom goggles and ear protection, and apply a table saw or some other power tool to cut the wood into strips. Always keep your easily at least 6 in (15 cm) from the bract to foreclose injury. In terms of length, your xylophone keys should match the following measurements.^[iii]

   • 9.875 in (25.08 cm)
   • 9.75 in (24.viii cm)
   • viii.63 in (21.9 cm)
   • 8.31 in (21.1 cm)
   • 8.06 in (20.five cm)
   • 7.75 in (19.vii cm)
   • vii.43 in (18.9 cm)
   • six.81 in (17.3 cm)
   • 6.43 in (sixteen.3 cm)

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3. 3

   Mark where you volition adhere the keys to the xylophone box. You lot will need to adhere the primal about i/v of the way above or beneath 1 of the ends. Mark the spots where yous will attach the keys with a slice of chalk, and so mark the other side of the xylophone fundamental at about 1/five of the mode from the cease.^[4]

   • Repeat this process with all of your keys.
   • To test the spot that you're planning to attach the key, hit information technology with a xylophone mallet while belongings it with your fingers in that spot. If your key produces a articulate sound, you've chosen a good spot.

4. 4

   Mark a wide arc in betwixt the 2 spots on the sides of the keys. Use a slice of chalk to describe a broad arc on 1 side of the xylophone key. You volition exist cutting the wood below this line with your power tool.^[5]

   • For a precise cut, mensurate and draw the line with a protractor.

5. 5

   Cut along the arc with your power tool. Use the line you drew as a guide as you shape your keys. Again, brand sure to proceed your hands at least 6 in (xv cm) as you lot cut the wood.^[6]

   • Cutting an arc in the keys will assistance their sound resonate more than conspicuously.

6. vi

   Buy plywood, pine, or hardwood for the xylophone box. Because the xylophone box does not need to resonate, you take more flexibility with what wood you use to arrive with. If you choose plywood, look for 5- or 7-ply furniture grade plywood with a thin laminate to give your xylophone a stiff end.^[7]

7. vii

   Measure and cut the sides for your xylophone box. Cutting the box forest into 5 pieces using a table saw or another power tool, using all necessary safety precautions. Measure the side pieces beforehand to brand sure they meet the post-obit sizes:^[8]

   • iv.63 in (11.8 cm) past 22.38 in (56.viii cm) (2)
   • four.63 in (eleven.8 cm) by 5.38 in (xiii.vii cm) (one)
   • four.63 in (eleven.8 cm) by 2.38 in (6.0 cm) (1)
   • 22.38 in (56.eight cm) with 2.38 in (6.0 cm) and 5.38 in (13.7 cm) sides, forming a trapezoid (i)

8. 8

   Glue the box together with wood gum. Before you glue your box, clamp the iv top sides together and slide the bottom side beneath information technology. Brand certain all five pieces fit together before gluing them. If they don't, make adjustments with your tabular array saw or power tool until they fit neatly.^[9]

   • When y'all've finished cutting the wood, sand it downwardly to smooth out rough edges.^[x]
   • If your box has too many gaps betwixt the sides, information technology will interfere with your xylophone's resonation.

9. 9

   Mark spots for nails along the top of the box. Brand the places for your nails at 1.25 in (3.2 cm) apart on both sides of the box. On 1 side, starting time positioning the nails at i.25 in (three.2 cm). On the other side, start positioning them at ii.v in (6.four cm) from the stop.

   • These will be where you place your xylophone keys.

10. 10

    Bulldoze the nails into the wood. Using a hammer, drive the nails into the wood until they each stick out about i in (ii.five cm) above the surface.^[11]

    • If you plan to stain or varnish the xylophone box for a glossy end, exercise and so later driving the nails in.

11. eleven

    Hitch safety bands over the nails. Loop a rubber band over the first smash, twist it around the 2d, and then claw it in identify on the third. Repeat this process on all of the xylophone nails until you take hooked and looped prophylactic bands along all of them.^[12]

    • The condom bands will keep the xylophone keys from moving out of place.

12. 12

    Drill a hole into each xylophone key. Use the chalk mark y'all fabricated earlier every bit a guide for where to drill the hole. Make the pigsty nearly the same bore equally the top of the nail then the xylophone key tin slide into place.^[13]

    • If you desire to stain or varnish the xylophone keys, practice so later drilling the holes.

13. thirteen

    Secure the xylophone keys into the box. The undrilled end should rest between two nails on 1 side, and the drilled end should rest over a smash on the opposite side. Test the xylophone's sound with a pair of mallets. If they requite a clear, resonating sound, your xylophone is finished.

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1. 1

   Purchase electric metal tubing and a shelf board from a hardware store. Make sure the electrical metal tubing you lot buy is the standard 10 ft (3.0 m) size. This should make a xylophone of xiii pipes. For the instrument'due south base, buy a ⁱⁱⁱ⁄₄  in (one.9 cm) shelf board well-nigh 11 in × 23 in (28 cm × 58 cm).^[14]

2. 2

   Cut the pipes to precise measurements. The length of each pipe determines what audio it makes. Longer pipes brand lower pitches, and shorter pipes make college pitches. Utilize a hacksaw or a pipe cutter to divide the pipes into the following measurements, using all necessary safety precautions while handling the power tool:^[15]

   • Pipe 1: 11.25 in (28.half dozen cm)
   • Pipe ii: eleven in (28 cm)
   • Pipage 3: 10.four in (26 cm)
   • Piping four: ten.125 in (25.72 cm)
   • Piping 5: nine.half dozen in (24 cm)
   • Pipe 6: 9.1 in (23 cm)
   • Pipe 7: eight.75 in (22.two cm)
   • Pipage eight: 8.ii in (21 cm)
   • Pipe 9: vii.8 in (20 cm)
   • Pipage 10: vii.25 in (xviii.four cm)
   • Pipage 11: 7.ane in (18 cm)
   • Pipe 12: 6.6 in (17 cm)
   • Pipe thirteen: half dozen.ii in (16 cm)

3. three

   Use a metallic file to grind the ends smooth. Pipe cutters or hacksaws can make the edges rough and dangerous to handle. File the edges of each pipe until they are flat. Check the edges with your finger when you lot're done filing to make certain they're no longer sharp.^[16]

   • Wear a sturdy pair of work gloves while handling the metal file to avert injuring yourself.

4. 4

   Cut strips of polyurethane foam into 28 blocks. Each block should be virtually ⁵⁄_viii  in × 1.25 in (1.6 cm × three.2 cm). Measure your strips with a ruler and marking their approximate lengths on the cream earlier cutting them to make them precise.

   • You tin purchase polyurethane foam from most hardware or home improvement stores.

5. five

   Arrange the blocks on contrary ends the shelf board. The length should match the size of a corresponding tube in descending gild. Space the blocks about one in (ii.5 cm) apart, and adhere them to the board with wood glue.

   • Permit the woods glue dry out before continuing to build your xylophone. On average wood glue takes about 6-8 hours to dry out, but cheque its packaging for specific details.

6. half dozen

   Place the tubes on top of each foam block. Utilize craft mucilage to secure the tubes in place. Wait for the glue to dry, which should have anywhere from three-half dozen hours depending on the glue'due south instructions.

   • Do not touch the tubes until the mucilage dries. If the tubes shift out of place, their sound may go muffled.

7. 7

   Test your xylophone with a mallet. You lot should be able to play a variety of melodies using the xiii pipes on your xylophone. If your xylophone'due south audio seems dull or muted, you may need to adjust the piping'southward lengths.

   • If y'all want to precisely measure out your xylophone's sound, apply an instrument tuner.

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1. ane

   Buy 2 ii in (five.1 cm) wooden balls and 2 12 in (xxx cm) wooden dowels. These will form the mallet for your xylophone. You tin can purchase these materials online or from a hardware or craft store.^[17]

2. 2

   Drill a hole into one stop of the wooden balls. The pigsty y'all drill should match the diameter of your wooden dowel. If your wooden dowel is too wide to comfortably fit into the hole after you lot've drilled information technology, skin its sides down with a sharp knife and sand the ends.^[18]

   • Wear a sturdy pair of piece of work gloves while dent the dowels to protect yourself.

3. 3

   Gum the dowels into the wooden balls. Coat the dowel end lightly in mucilage and fit information technology into the wooden ball'due south pigsty. Let the wood gum dry for half-dozen-8 hours, depending on the instructions on the glue's packaging.

   • Do non use the xylophone mallets until they've had time to completely dry.

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Add New Question

• Question

  What kind of wood is the base of a xylophone?

  

  Birch, oak, or pine.

• Question

  How do the keys vibrate if they're screwed downwards?

  

  The holes of the nodes are slightly bigger than the nails or screws, so the keys will be able to resonate properly.

• Question

  How does the xylophone modify notes?

  

  The larger the bar, the lower the note. This is because a larger bar/key creates a larger wavelength, creating a lower pitch.

• Question

  What do I await for when ownership a tuner? Is there a specific type?

  

  You'll want an electric tuner. You tin can easily observe them online.

• Question

  What is a good thickness for the keys?

  

  That depends on whether you are using metal or wood keys. Metal keys are fine to become even if they are equally sparse equally 1 cm. However, wood keys need to be thicker to produce audio.

• Question

  Do I need to add an electric tuner or is that optional?

  

  You practice not need to use an electric tuner. If you have the ability to ear-tune the xylophone, you can do so. Withal, a tuner would be the safest bet. In general, whatsoever smartphone will exist capable of downloading a tuner app.

• Question

  Would it be fine to pigment the keys with pigment? And if yes, what pigment would I use?

  

  The audio the woods makes would be changed by how the mallet hits the key. It would be more deadened if you used a thick glaze of rubbery acrylic or clear glaze. Something that dries like house pigment wouldn't agree upwardly very well. Your best bet is some sort of wood stain. Don't soak the wood too much. If it expands, it's likely to resonate differently.

• Question

  Is it possible to make a xylophone by alternate the width of the bars instead of the length?

  

  Somewhat. It would, nonetheless, be well-nigh unplayable and about certainly useless. Lowering the width of the bar makes it harder to strike and produce less noise. Spiral holes would too be very small.

• Question

  Could a xylophone make a similar audio to a marimba?

  

  It'south is technically similar to a marimba. However, the pitch of the sound may differ.

• Question

  What scale is the wooden xylophone supposed to exist able to play?

  

  The C calibration (no sharps or flats) will be able to exist played with this xylophone.

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• If you practise not own a table saw, pipe cutter, or another power tool, you can rent one from most home improvement stores.

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

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• Have safety precautions while handling pipe cutters, table saws, or other power tools. E'er wear eye and ear protection to proceed yourself safe.

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Things You'll Demand

• Hard, dense woods (like rosewood, cedar wood, regal heartwood, or key wood)
• Hardwood, pino or plywood
• Chalk
• Tabular array saw or woodcutting power tool
• Wood gum
• Nails
• Drill
• Rubber bands
• Protractor
• Woods stain or varnish (optional)

• x feet (three.0 m) electrical metal tubing
• 3⁄4 inch (1.ix cm) shelf board(11 by 23 inches (28 cm × 58 cm))
• Pipe cutter or hacksaw
• Metal file
• Polyurethane foam
• Craft glue
• Woods glue
• Work gloves
• Xylophone mallets
• Ruler

• 2 ii inches (5.one cm) wooden balls
• 2 12 inches (30 cm) wooden dowels
• Wood glue
• Drill
• Paring knife
• Work gloves

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Article Summary X

To make a xylophone, commencement by choosing a dense, difficult wood for the keys. Next, cut the woods into strips with arcs on the lesser side and marker where y'all'll adhere the keys to the xylophone box. To make the box, form a trapezoid with your woods and glue it together. Then, drive nails into the spots where the keys will go, and hook and loop safety bands along all the nails to go on the keys from moving out of place. One time the base is ready, drill holes in the keys and prepare them betwixt the nails. To acquire how to make a xylophone mallet, keep reading!

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Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Xylophone

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