Experiment with a Xylophone key

Abstract

The Xylophone, found in many tribes in South, Central, East and West Africa, is often a very rustic-looking instrument quite belying the craftsmanship which underlies its musical qualities. It consists essentially of a series of hardwood slats slung over a set of resonators, the whole being mounted in a wooden frame. Xylophones are also wide­spread on the other side of the Indian Ocean - in Cambodia and Thialand, Burma, Java and Bali, where they are often beautifully and elaborately made. In both cases, however, the actual tuning of the slats to produce the required notes is effected in the same way and falls into two distinct phases - rough tuning and fine tuning.