Editing Marimba (section)

=== Range ===
There is no standard range of the marimba, but the most common ranges are 4.3 octaves, 4.5 octaves and 5 octaves; 4, 4.6 and 5.5 octave sizes are also available.

*4 octave: C<sub>3</sub> to C<sub>7</sub>.
*4.3 octave: A<sub>2</sub> to C<sub>7</sub>. The .3 refers to three semitones below the 4 octave instrument. This is the most common range.
*4.5 octave: F<sub>2</sub> to C<sub>7</sub>. The .5 means "half";
*4.6 octave: E<sub>2</sub> to C<sub>7</sub>, one semitone below the 4.5. Useful for playing guitar literature and transcriptions.
*5 octave: C<sub>2</sub> to C<sub>7</sub>, one full octave below the 4 octave instrument, useful for playing cello transcriptions, e.g., [[J. S. Bach]]'s cello suites.
*Bass range (varies, but examples range from G<sub>1</sub>–G<sub>3</sub> or C<sub>2</sub>–F<sub>3</sub>)

The range of the marimba has been gradually expanding, with companies like Marimba One adding notes up to F above the normal high C (C<sub>7</sub>) on their 5.5 octave instrument and marimba tuners adding notes lower than the low C on the 5 octave C<sub>2</sub>. Adding lower notes is somewhat impractical; as the bars become bigger and the resonators become longer, the instrument must be taller and the mallets must be softer in order to produce a tone rather than just a percussive attack. Adding higher notes is also impractical because the hardness of the mallets required to produce the characteristic tone of a marimba are much too hard to play with in almost any other, lower range on the instrument.

The marimba is a non-transposing instrument with no octave displacement, unlike the [[xylophone]], which sounds one octave higher than written, and the [[glockenspiel]], which sounds two octaves higher than written.

[[File:Marimba resonators.jpg|thumb|PVC resonators]]