Marimba, << muh RIHM buh, >> is a percussion instrument that consists of a number of bars arranged on a frame like the keys of a piano. Most marimbas have bars of rosewood, but some have plastic bars. A musician strikes the bars with mallets that have heads of soft or hard rubber or of yarn. The sounds are amplified by metal tubes called resonators, one of which lies beneath each bar. Most marimbas have 49 to 52 bars with a range of from 4 to 41/2 octaves. The instrument produces a rich, mellow sound. Marimbalike instruments date from prehistoric times. Marimbas have become especially popular in Africa and in Latin America. Some Latin American marimbas are so long that four or five musicians can play at one time.
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