vibraphone
A mallet percussion instrument with metal bars and motor-driven rotating discs that create a vibrato effect.
In Depth
The vibraphone (often called vibes) combines metal bars with tubular resonators, each containing a motor-driven rotating disc that opens and closes the tube, producing a distinctive wavering vibrato. The player can also control sustain with a damper pedal, similar to a piano's sustain pedal.
The vibraphone was invented in the 1920s and quickly became a jazz staple. Lionel Hampton, Milt Jackson, Gary Burton, and Bobby Hutcherson developed it into a major jazz voice. Its warm, shimmering tone blends beautifully with other instruments. In classical music, the vibraphone appears in works by Britten, Messiaen, and many contemporary composers.
Gary Burton pioneered a four-mallet technique on the vibraphone that allowed him to play chords and counterpoint simultaneously — essentially turning a single-line instrument into a keyboard.