Talk:Marimba

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This article is part of WikiProject Percussion, a group of Wikipedians interested in systematically organizing all the information in Wikipedia related to percussion. This project's focus is to centralize the efforts of many Wikipedians to make Wikipedia the best free resource when it comes to information about the subject. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the project and see a list of open tasks.

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orchestral xylophone bars, like marimba bars, are almost always made of rosewood; substitutes (paduak, synthetic materials, etc.) have a distinctly inferior sound. -jp2

Mentioning Stevens in this context is just weird. Musser? MP

If it is inappropriate, feel free to modify it. --Infrogmation 06:58, 3 Jul 2004 (UTC)

Moving four-mallet grips to a linked, separate entry seems a good choice; after all, grips are not marimba-specific. jp2 15:05, 13 Aug 2004 (UTC)

I disagree it is perfectly fine to mention the grips in this article but have a linkto another page. When you mention that the bestwaulity can be achieved using 2 to 6 mallet some example of different type of grip to use are fine.

Moved information about marimba mallets into the mallets section of drumstick; this way, xylophone, vibraphone, crotales, etc., can all link in. -jp2 00:15, 23 Jan 2005 (UTC)

There was no information about marimba mallets under mallets section of drumstick. I made marimba mallets section on marimba page. Marimba mallets are very different from drum sticks. -User:Gmoyer 14:15, 21 Oct 2005 (UTC)

Where is Marimba co. listed

[edit] Improvement drive

Percussion instrument is currently a candidate on Wikipedia: This week's improvement drive. Vote for this article if you want it to be improved. --Fenice 20:47, 10 August 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Picture from Gourd Instrument Book

I spoke with the author of the book that the Guatemalan Marimba pictured in the article was taken from and he informed me that it is a doctored picture. The gourd resonators were added in digitally. Guatemalan Marimbas typically have wooden resonators. I would suggest using pictures from Hugh Tracy's book Ngoma or from the CD insert on his recording of Chopi musicians, these pictures are definitely undoctored, as Mr. Tracy was attempting to document the current status of these instruments and their playing technique in Mozambique.

[edit] Marimba Tuning

Anyone know why Marimbas are tuned to A = 442 Hz?

Marimbas are tuned to concert A because it is the orcestaral tuning note. Concert A scientifically is 440hz but is often tuned one or two herts up or down depending on region. In north America concert a is tunes to a 440, but where as in Europe it is often tuned to a 442. No rely knows why there is this difference in tuning. Some say its because Europeans like the sharper sound because it is Brighter but it mostly has to do with tradition.Thescot 21:53, 8 April 2006 (UTC)

It also may come from the fact that many commercially available Marimbas (Yamaha, Kori, Korogi, and so on) are made in Japan, where orchestras use A442 Tristan 16:33, 12 April 2006 (UTC)

As far as I know, new Marimbas are tuned to A442 because that tuning note is a growing trend among orchestras, beginning with European orchestras seeking the brighter sound created. This is somewhat in line with a trend throughout history to have a widely varying, though generally increasing, tuning note. Some organs in the 1700s were even tuned as low as A309 or so. You can still get Marimbas tuned to A440, but they generally must be custom ordered from the manufacturer. Zifnab966 01:59, 19 May 2006 (UTC)

As far as I know... They are tuned to 442 because most instruments play sharp as they are played more and more. This is not the case as much with string instruments and much more the case with brass instruments. Just something else to consider. Gpit2286 04:08, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Scott Fitzpatrick

I'm here via the date pages - Scott Fitzpatrick had their birth in 1988 listed. I can't find any google hits for '"Scott Fitzpatrick" marimba' apart from this page and its copies. Is there evidence for Scott Fitzpatrick being a marimbist? Pseudomonas 18:27, 12 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Merging

I do not believe that the Balafon article should be merged into this article. Although the two instruments are rather alike in concept, merging them would be similar to merging marimbas into xylophones or vibraphones. Regards, NapoleonB 04:42, 13 April 2006 (UTC)

The two articles should have links to each other, but I see no harm in keeping the Balafon article seperate. -- Infrogmation 15:02, 20 May 2006 (UTC)

Agree with NapoleonB and Infrogmation. Keep apart - Bemoeial 14:45, 22 June 2006 (UTC)

I recommend against the September 2006 proposed merger with the glass marimba entry. Marimba already refers to diverse instruments of great cultural importance; confusing the matter with outlier instruments lacking historical context seems unnecessary. I'd even recommend removing the glass marimba article altogether, as the discussion of glass marimba in the crystallophone entry is probably sufficient, given its novelty status. jp2 21:42, 10 October 2006 (UTC)

Since Hairy Dude proposed the merger with glass marimba on 19 September 2006, there have been no comments in favor of the merger. Marimbas are not made of glass; crystallaphones are not marimbas for the same reason that vibraphones and xylophones are not marimbas -- they just aren't. jp2 05:04, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] List of marimba performers

Note for those new to Wikipedia, that the section should not be a collection of external links to performers' websites, but rather a list of significant perfomers who are appropriate subjects for encyclopdia articles as Wikipedia expands-- thus the link should be to their name, even if we don't yet have an article on them. Question for more exprienced Wikipedians: Perhaps we should spin off the list into a seperate "List of marimba performers" (or similar title)? Other thoughts? -- Infrogmation 15:02, 20 May 2006 (UTC)

Nick Angelis? Jeff Moore?

A list of marima performers would indeed be a good idea. Leigh Howard Stevens? Keiko Abe? I believe they both have pages on wikipedia but are not mentioned in the marimba article.

could a line be also dropped about the work that keiko abe did in designing the shape and the sound of the modern instrument 82.66.8.62

Could Brian Jones be considered a Marimba performer? He played it in "Under My Thumb" and in "Out of Time".

I reckon the list should definitely be limited to musicians/performers who regard the Marimba their main instrument and have been widely known and gained a reputation as marimbists. It would be ludicrous to mention everybody who ever played a few notes on a Marimba on one of their recordings. Just imagine doing the same with "guitarists" or "pianists". Let's keep it relevant! --natz 11:50, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

I am spinning the list off into a seperate List of marimba performers article. -- Infrogmation 00:56, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Origin

who made the marimba..

An anonymous editor added the last question. It originated in southeast Asia, not Africa. Dogru144 (talk) 23:03, 1 March 2008 (UTC)