The family of keyboard percussion instruments

Keyboard percussion instruments is a term which describes a subcategory of the percussion instruments. They are often referred to as mallet instruments. All mallet instruments are multi-tone and tuned percussion idiophones that are played with various types of mallets made of wood, metal, plastic or cork. In new music, musicians also more often bow double basses on the plates of the instruments. This also creates new, unique sounds.

The structure of the "plates" is identical to those of the piano in all baton instruments and thus has the same sequence of "white" and "black" keys. Under these plates are always tubes that vary in size depending on the pitch of the note and serve as resonators, thus amplifying the sound. In modern instruments, they are made of metal. In the past, hollow gourds were usually used for this purpose.

The word idiophone is borrowed from the Greek language and means something like "self-sounder". It describes all instruments whose material alone is responsible for producing the sound, and without the aid of strings or membranes, sets its own body vibrating to produce sound. This is also the case with mallet instruments: by striking the plates of the instruments, they are set in vibration and thus produce their characteristic sound, which is perceived differently depending on the instrument and mallet.

Which mallet instruments are there?

The list of mallet instruments is very long. Depending on the country or region, different variants or even completely new mallet instruments can be found. Some instruments, such as glockenspiel, xylophone, or vibraphone are well-known to most. But when it comes to the lyre, marimba, or balafon, many folks ask more questions and want to know what these instruments are all about and how they differ from the previously known mallet instruments. If you're wondering the same thing, stay tuned and learn more about these instruments and their playing styles in this article.

Basically, the mallet instruments can be divided into two large groups: The xylophones and the metallophones. The first are percussion idiophones, whose plates are made of handmade wood. These include various instruments, among others:

• Marimba
• Balafon
• (modern) Xylophone

On the other hand, the metallophones form the group of impact idiophones. Their plates are made of metal and are all characterized by long, vibrating sounds. That's why you see many instruments in this group with pedals that operate a damper to stop the plates from vibrating. These include:

• Glockenspiel
• Lyre
• Vibraphone

Xylophones - wooden mallet instruments

Marimba

The marimba has a long tradition and originated in Africa in the 13th century. When many parts of the African population were finally deported to Central and South America in the 16th and 17th centuries, the marimba also arrived there. The inhabitants copied these instruments and to this day families in South American countries play marimbas together in the streets and carry on old traditions.

Nowadays, the instrument is used in the Western world for solo performances as well as concerts in the orchestra. It usually has a range of five octaves and covers the notes from high C to very high C4. This makes it one of the largest of the mallet instruments. It is usually played with two or even four mallets, which often have a head made of wool yarn or synthetic yarn. The handle is made of different types of wood (for example: birch, maple or rattan) depending on the type. If you want to buy mallets, I recommend you to take a style made of rattan, because this wood is very flexible and can compensate very well the vibrations during playing.

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Balafon

The balafon is the predecessor of the marimba, one of the oldest baton instruments and originated in Africa (Mali). It is somewhat smaller, with approximately 2.5 to 3.5 octaves, and has resonators made of calabashes (gourds that have been hollowed out). The special, buzzing sound is produced by holes in the calabashes, which were traditionally covered with bat wings—these days with cigarette paper. Like the marimba, it is played with mallets, which, however, were not covered with yarn in earlier times. Because of its early origin, it does not have the familiar arrangement of the keys of the piano, but rather a simple stringing together of the plates.

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Xylophone

The word xylophone appears twice in this category of mallet instruments. This of course makes sense, because "xylo" is Greek for wood, and thus encompasses the group of instruments with plates made of wood. Moreover, nowadays the xylophone is also the name of a specific instrument, which usually has the range of 3.5 to 4 octaves and thus represents the little brother of the marimba. In orchestral music, it is often used to complement or support the high wood and creates a piercing sensation with its often harsh sounds.

Unlike the marimba, its playing style is characterized by fast runs or catchy melodies. When used solo, some percussionists play with up to eight mallets simultaneously. But this is an exception, because in the classical sense two mallets are the standard. These mallets' sticks comprise different types of wood. The head material, however, is rarely made of yarn, but more often of hard wood or rubber.

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Metallophones - metal mallet instruments

Glockenspiel

The glockenspiel is probably the best known member of the family of mallet instruments. It is part of the classical orchestral percussion and has been known in Europe since the 17th century. If you've been in early music education, the instrument will sound familiar. Most folks get to know it in a smaller version with one or two octaves and acquire their first musical knowledge. Later it is heard again in orchestras and music clubs, where it is used in a similar way to the xylophone: as accompaniment to melodies and runs of the woodwinds. Now and then it also gets solo passages and can enchant the listeners with its sound.

Since it belongs to the metallophones, the plates are made of metal and give the instrument its dreamy, melodic sound. To shorten the sound, high-quality orchestral glockenspiels have pedal dampers that press on the plates from below and prevent them from vibrating. When the pedal is pressed, the damper is pulled down. It releases from the plates, allowing them to vibrate freely until the pedal is released. The same principle is used by the damper on the strings of the piano. As you can see, the sticks and the piano have a lot in common.

If you're interested in learning to play the piano, you can stop by other articles on the blog about learning the piano or piano apps.

To play the glockenspiel, however, you don't need your fingers but mallets made of a solid nylon or brass head. As a stick material, I can again recommend rattan, which provides an optimal playing feel due to its mobility. All in all, the glockenspiel is one of the best-known percussion instruments, along with the bass drum, timpani and cymbals, due to its wide range of uses - from the first encounter in early musical education to classical orchestral works.

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Lyre

The lyre is probably less familiar to you. However, if you've ever listened to and watched military music, you've probably come across the lyre. Simply put, it is a variation of the glockenspiel used for marching. The players wear a belt with a hole at the waist where the end of the lyre is attached. Now the lyre is held vertically in front of the body and can be played well. The range here is somewhat smaller compared to the glockenspiel and is 1.5 to 2 octaves.

However, there are two peculiarities here in comparison with the other mallet instruments. First, it can only be played with one hand, as the other must hold the instrument. Therefore, a nimble hand is helpful for playing. Second, it has no tubes for better resonance under the metal plates, but still sounds very assertive and therefore often plays together with piccolos in military bands. The mallet heads can vary in material depending on use and are mainly made of hard rubber, wood, plastic or brass.

It's not only the beautiful sound of the lyre that's enchanting, but also its appearance: Often it has an eagle bolted to the top and the sides are attached horse tails, decorated in different colors.

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Vibraphone

The vibraphone is clearly distinguished from other mallet instruments by its special metallic sounds and its frequent use in jazz. You will therefore rarely find it in classical music. Like the glockenspiel, it has a pedal damper and typically has a range of three octaves. Also special is the electric motor, which produces a slow vibrato when played. For this purpose, rotating metal discs are attached to the upper end of the resonance tubes, which periodically open and close the opening of the tubes, thus amplifying the sound to a greater or lesser extent. The vibraphone is also played with mallets whose heads are made of rubber, synthetic yarn, or wool yarn. Either two or four mallets are used for this, depending on use.

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