Xylophone & Glockenspiel - Whats The Difference? | Normans Blog

What's the difference between a Xylophone & Glockenspiel? They both have bars. They're both melodic pieces of percussion. You hit them with a stick. Surely these are basically the same, just re-branded with different names? Well, no. There is one notable difference:

Glockenspiel = Metal                    Xylophone = Wood

Yep, that's it.

Well, not really. Although, that is certainly the biggest difference. Some other differences are:

• The Xylophone is thought to be from Africa while it is believed the Glock is German.
• The Glockenspiel has a higher pitch than the Xylophone.
• Generally, the Glock has a smaller range than the Xylophone.
• With the above in mind, the Xylophone is larger than the Glock.

Still unsure? Have a listen yourself...