# What are some good hints for Xylophone constructions and materials. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 21, 2010, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-good-hints-for-xylophone-constructions-and-materials/543940 "2010-06-21T01:15:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-good-hints-for-xylophone-constructions-and-materials/543940/1 "2010-06-21T01:15:30Z")
I’m wondering about what type of wood works well for the keys. What angle the two crossbars should be at. How far apart the keys should be. I hope to make the xylophone no more than 2’ long. I roughed up one fast today and was playing with different angles and I reach the conclusion trial and error was not a great idea. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-good-hints-for-xylophone-constructions-and-materials/543940/2 "2010-06-21T02:09:46Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > I’m wondering about what type of wood works well for the keys. Rosewood’s pretty much the standard. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-good-hints-for-xylophone-constructions-and-materials/543940/3 "2010-06-21T04:53:42Z")
I saw one in ebony and some lighter wood that was pretty, but I thought the sound was sort of brittle compared to a regular one. Although I have never really been fond of xylophones because of some stupid travelog show on early sunday mornings that was all xylophone soft jazz - it was _not_ cartoons and I hated the show, and it sort of tainted me for xylophones =( ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-good-hints-for-xylophone-constructions-and-materials/543940/4 "2010-06-21T06:16:39Z")
Whatever you do, DON’T play “Those Tender Young Charms” - if you miss that 11th note, the whole thing’ll explode… (yes, now you know the name of the exploding xylophone tune) ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-good-hints-for-xylophone-constructions-and-materials/543940/5 "2010-06-21T10:35:00Z")
[Here’s](http://www.mmdigest.com/Tech/breen_xylo.html) a little write-up from a guy who made one from red oak, it has good information on tuning the bars. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-good-hints-for-xylophone-constructions-and-materials/543940/6 "2010-06-21T12:37:44Z")
\*\*Mack \*\*that is exactly the kind of thing I was looking for and red oak is much easier to get hold of then rose wood, especially for a first try. Thank you so much. **usedtob** , I’ll have to get the sheet music for that if my first trial goes well. I need to build a small one first and see how that goes. My experiments with scrap I had in my basement shop yielded 3 good keys and knowledge I needed some details and better wood.