Popular Songs on Marimba

Friday, October 10th, 2008

I’ve just found a new band on YouTube – a couple of girls from San Diego, CA called Stacey and Julie – and they are doing some great stuff adapting popular songs to the Marimba. They have some great arrangements, and their choice of music is really easy to listen to and entertaining – well [...]

What is the difference between a Marimba and a Xylophone?

Friday, May 2nd, 2008

This is part of the percussion fundamentals series of Articles on the Percussion Education Blog. One of the most often mis-understood differences is the difference between a Marimba and a Xylophone. This article aims to clarify those differences, and also point out the similarities between the two. The Marimba and the Xylophone both have wooden [...]

What is the difference between a glockenspiel and a marimba?

Friday, March 28th, 2008

This is a question I’ve been asked many times by non-percussionists, and its quite easy to understand why people get confused by it! The key difference is in what the bars are made from – A Glockenspiel has metal bars, whereas a Marimba has wooden ones. The Marimba: The Marimba always has a large frame [...]

Build your own marimba

Sunday, December 16th, 2007

I just wanted to let you know about a brand new website from my friend and colleague Jim McCarthy. Jim has been working really hard on his new project – which is a complete set of plans and blueprints for building a full sized three octave marimba. Jim’s prototype is just beautiful – really nice [...]