Musical Instrument Blog #2

The xylophone produces sound through force hitting the bar, where the vibration travels through the bar and into metal tubes called resonators. This is why the xylophone looks like it contains a vertical counterpart similar to the actual wood keys. These are important characteristics in a xylophone. To change the pitch, you strike a different key, arranged in octaves like a piano.

I intend on using an old computer frame stand as the base of my xylophone. I would only create one full octave because the frame is not as large as others, and the keys and bars would be made out of polished wood. For the resonators, it would be ideal to use metal pipes, but I would like to try using wood or plastic (PVC) to see what happens. I will play my instrument by using a mallet and hitting on the keys. I would use my time at home and Engineering class to build my instrument.

A lingering question I still have is: How will I separate each and every key while having it suspended on the computer frame?