A xylophone is a percussion musical instrument, consisting of a system of different tuned wooden plates that vibrate and emit sounds when they are hit with wooden, glass or metal hammers. It is a tool popular even among poorly developed civilization. The sounds obtained by hitting the wooden plates with the hammers, acted directly or through a keypad, have the dry, biting, piercing sound, easy to be noticed in the orchestra's tumult.

Marimba is also a percussion instrument, of African origin, very similar to the xylophone and vibraphone, which is currently experiencing an increased popularity in Latin American countries. It is made of rosewood boards, arranged in order of height, endowed with resonant tubes, which reinforce and prolong the sounds. Marimba is operated with wooden rods, for loud sounds, or with rubber rods, for softer sounds.

This instrument has evolved from the African "balafon". The words “rim” and “ba” come from the Bantu language, spoken in Mozambique and Malawi. Marimba can have up to 5 octaves. The wooden plates, placed on two rows, are chromatically tuned, as in keyboards. For the amplification of the sound, gutters were used. Currently metal tubes are mounted perpendicularly under the wooden plates. Because the wood plates are thinner and softer, the marimba has a fuller sound than the xylophone.

You can find quality percussion instruments at local drum store My Music Supply.