Editing Xylophone (section)

==Construction of xylophones==
[[File:Xylophone-pjt1.jpg|thumb|left|[[Cameroon]], ~1914]]
The modern western xylophone has bars of [[rosewood]], [[padauk]], [[cocobolo]], or various synthetic materials such as [[fiberglass]] or [[Fibre-reinforced plastic|fiberglass-reinforced plastic]] which allows a louder sound.<ref name=made>{{cite web|url=http://www.madehow.com/Volume-6/Xylophone.html |title=How xylophone is made |publisher=Madehow.com |date=26 June 2000 |access-date=2011-11-01}}</ref> Some can be as small a range as {{frac|2|1|2}} octaves but concert xylophones are typically {{frac|3|1|2}} or 4 octaves. Like the glockenspiel, the xylophone is a [[transposing instrument]]: its parts are written one octave below the sounding notes.<ref>{{cite book| last= Cook| first= Gary D. |year= 1997| title= Teaching Percussion| edition= Second| location= Belmont, California| publisher= Schirmer Books, Wadsworth/Thomson Learning}}</ref>

Concert xylophones have tube [[resonators]] below the bars to enhance the tone and sustain. Frames are made of wood or cheap steel tubing: more expensive xylophones feature height adjustment and more stability in the stand. In other music cultures some versions have [[gourd]]s<ref name=made/> that act as [[Helmholtz resonator]]s. Others are "trough" xylophones with a single hollow body that acts as a resonator for all the bars.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vsl.co.at/en/70/3196/3204/3205/5729.vsl |title=Percussion > Mallets > Xylophone > History |website=Vsl.co.at| publisher= Vienna Symphonic Library |access-date= 2011-11-01}}</ref> Old methods consisted of arranging the bars on tied bundles of straw, and, is still practiced today, placing the bars adjacent to each other in a ladder-like layout. Ancient mallets were made of willow wood with spoon-like bowls on the beaten ends.<ref name=made/>