Marimba

Marimba

Classical marimba, model Antonko AMC-12
Percussion instrument
Classification	Percussion
Hornbostel–Sachs classification	111.212 (Sets of percussion sticks)
Playing range
Related instruments
Marimbaphone
Musicians
See list of marimbists
Builders
See list of marimba manufacturers

Flapamba

Flapamba (from Emil Richards Collection)
Classification	Percussion instrument (Idiophone)
Developed	Brent Seawell
Playing range
F2–C4, C4–C6
Builders
Chris Banta

The marimba (/məˈrɪmbə/) is a percussion instrument consisting of a set of wooden bars struck with mallets to produce musical tones. Resonators suspended underneath the bars amplify their sound. The bars are arranged like the keys of a piano, with the groups of 2 and 3 accidentals raised vertically, overlapping the natural bars to aid the performer both visually and physically. This instrument is a type of idiophone, but with a more resonant and lower-pitched tessitura than the xylophone.

The marimba was developed in Central America by African slaves, and descended from its ancestral balafon instrument, which was also built by African slaves. Marimba is now the national instrument of Guatemala.

Modern uses of the marimba include solo performances, woodwind and brass ensembles, marimba concertos, jazz ensembles, marching band (front ensembles), drum and bugle corps, and orchestral compositions. Contemporary composers have used the unique sound of the marimba more and more in recent years.

A player of the Marimba can be called a Marimbist or a Marimba Player.

Xylophones are widely used in music of west and central Africa. The name marimba stems from Bantu marimba or malimba, 'xylophone'. According to some Western sources, the word 'marimba' is formed from ma 'many' and rimba 'single-bar xylophone,' however the use of the term marimba and/or derivative terms is not present in any West African language. The instrument itself is present, but is called balafon or heri in Mali and/or Guinea, while it's known as gyil among the Akan peoples in and around Ghana. The word marimba and derivative words is used widely in East, Central & Southern Africa. A survey of the literature on the African marimba and related instruments, like the mbira, likembe and ilimba indicate a relationship between the word marimba and the various lamellaphones found all over Central and East Africa. Other sources credit the creation of the marimba and the kalimba to Queen Marimba of the Wakambi people, who live south of Lake Victoria. In the Swahili language "imba" means song. Kuimba is to sing. Marimba, is said to be the "mother of song" and the creator of all the instruments, including the marimba. Mama means mother in Kiswahili, so it makes perfect sense that the word mother would be combined with the word for song. The karimba is also said to have been created by Queen Marimba. In much of East & Central Africa the karimba is seen as a hand-held version of the marimba.