GLOCKENSPIEL.
A
glockenspiel (
German pronunciation: [ˈɡlɔkənˌʃpiːl]) is a
percussion instrument composed of a set of tuned keys arranged in the fashion of the keyboard of a
piano. In this way, it is similar to the
xylophone; however, the xylophone's bars are made of wood, while the glockenspiel's are metal plates or tubes, thus making it a
metallophone. The glockenspiel, moreover, is usually smaller and higher in
pitch.
In German, a
carillon is also called a
Glockenspiel.
When used in a marching or military band, the bars are sometimes mounted in a portable case and held vertically, sometimes in a
lyre-shaped frame. In
orchestral use, the bars are mounted horizontally. A pair of hard, unwrapped
mallets, generally with heads made of plastic or metal, are used to strike the bars, although mallet heads can also be made of rubber. If laid out horizontally, a keyboard may be attached to the instrument to allow
chords to be more easily played.
The glockenspiel is limited to the upper
register, and usually covers about two and a half to three
octaves. The glockenspiel is a transposing instrument; its parts are written two octaves below the sounding notes. When struck, the bars give a very pure, bell-like sound.
Glockenspiels are still quite popular and appear in almost all genres of music ranging from
hip-hop to
jazz.[
dubious
Does anyone know of jazz usage?