# How hard is it to make (and presumably \*tune\*) a xylophone?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-is-it-to-make-and-presumably-tune-a-xylophone/338409>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 4, 2006, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-is-it-to-make-and-presumably-tune-a-xylophone/338409 "2006-01-04T16:21:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [January 4, 2006, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-is-it-to-make-and-presumably-tune-a-xylophone/338409/1 "2006-01-04T16:21:20Z")

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I want to make a xylophone (actually to be later incorporated into a fairground organ-style automaton I am planning); my woodworking skills are fair and I have a good supply of various hardwoods that I can try using.

How likely is it that I’ll end up with some kind of tuneful instrument? What factors affect the qualities of the note that any given bar will produce when struck? (I’m assuming that length is the thing that dictates the actual pitch, but I know that xylophone bars have a concavity in the back - what’s that all about?)

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**Author:** ![vertizontal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ad7895/32.png) [@vertizontal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vertizontal)\
**Post date:** [January 4, 2006, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-is-it-to-make-and-presumably-tune-a-xylophone/338409/2 "2006-01-04T17:04:06Z")

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Here are some links for you:

[How do I make a xylophone?](http://www.ask.com/web?q=How+do+I+make+a+xylophone%3F&qsrc=0&o=0)

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**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\
**Post date:** [January 4, 2006, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-is-it-to-make-and-presumably-tune-a-xylophone/338409/3 "2006-01-04T17:35:37Z")

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> [@Mangetout](#):
>
> I want to make a xylophone (actually to be later incorporated into a fairground organ-style automaton I am planning); my woodworking skills are fair and I have a good supply of various hardwoods that I can try using. How likely is it that I’ll end up with some kind of tuneful instrument?

Depends on how much knowledge you can acquire and how much patientce you have to cope with the project.

> [@](#):
>
> What factors affect the qualities of the note that any given bar will produce when struck? (I’m assuming that length is the thing that dictates the actual pitch, but I know that xylophone bars have a concavity in the back - what’s that all about?)

Mainly the length of the bar and the location of the support points at the 1/4 length and method of support. The concavity on the bottom promotes vibrational response. some may use wool yarn to support the bars similar to the wind chime tubes, and long brass chimes in g’father clocks.