Keyboard Percussion Instrument - Marimba

Musical Instruments

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Musical Instrument - Marimba

The Marimba is a keyboard percussion instrument popular mainly with composers. Falling under the category of orchestral instruments, the Marimba has a distinctively warm and resonant sound.

To sound the Marimba, wooden keys or bars are struck with mallets. The modern Marimba usually has a rose wood keyboard and brass pipe resonators. The 5 octave large Marimbas have the ability to produce a variety of low notes.

The Marimba is recognised as the National Instrument of Guatemala.

Marimba Players & Composers -

Those players and composers who popularised the Marimba and used it extensively in composing music etc include -

• Jack Imel

• Nanae Mimura

• Mark Ford

• Oliver Messiaen

• Thomas Burritt

• Evelyn Glennie

• Keiko Abe

• Toru Takimitsu

• Colin Currie

• Pedro Carneiro, among others.

Do you know how to play the Marimba? Share your knowledge & experience with us. Write to us contact@musicalescapades.com