Play the xylophone online
Click, tap or type to play 44 bars of a real, recorded xylophone.
How to play the xylophone with your keyboard
Every key of your computer keyboard shown here plays a bar. Sharps and flats sit on the row above, like the raised back row of a real xylophone.
- Click or tap a bar, or press a letter on your computer keyboard.
- Strike a bar in the middle for a full tone, or near an end for a softer one.
- Press ← or → to move the computer keys one octave down or up.
- Pick a sound above the bars. You can switch sounds while you play.
- SC♯5
- DD♯5
- GF♯5
- HG♯5
- JA♯5
- LC♯6
- ;D♯6
- ZC5
- XD5
- CE5
- VF5
- BG5
- NA5
- MB5
- ,C6
- .D6
- /E6
- 2C♯6
- 3D♯6
- 5F♯6
- 6G♯6
- 7A♯6
- 9C♯7
- 0D♯7
- =F♯7
- QC6
- WD6
- EE6
- RF6
- TG6
- YA6
- UB6
- IC7
- OD7
- PE7
- [F7
- ]G7
Five recorded mallet sounds
Every note comes from a recording of a real instrument: the xylophone with two kinds of mallets, and three of its relatives. Pick one here or above the bars.
Xylophone, hard mallets
The classic concert xylophone sound: bright, dry and woody, struck with hard mallets.
Xylophone, soft mallets
The same xylophone with soft mallets: rounder and gentler, good for quiet melodies.
Marimba
Wide wooden bars over long resonators give a warm, mellow tone. It does not reach the highest bars.
Glockenspiel
Small steel bars with a clear ring like little bells. It plays the upper half of the bars.
Vibraphone
Aluminium bars with a soft, singing tone and a damper pedal: hold Space or switch Pedal on to let notes ring.
A free virtual xylophone for school, practice and fun
This online xylophone has 44 bars, from F4 to C8, the range of a concert xylophone, right in your browser. There is nothing to install and no account: open the page and start playing.
Use it to pick out a tune by ear, practise scales and simple songs at school or at home, or let a child find out how each bar sounds. Several fingers can play at once on a phone or tablet, and a MIDI keyboard turns it into a light practice instrument.
A xylophone sounds one octave higher than its music is written, and its bars ring briefly with a dry, bright tone. The marimba is its lower, warmer cousin, the glockenspiel rings like small bells, and the vibraphone holds its notes with a pedal.
Questions
Is this online xylophone free?
Yes. It is free to use, with no sign-up and no download. It works in any modern browser.
How do I play the xylophone with my computer keyboard?
The bottom letter row (Z to /) plays from C5 and the top row (Q to ]) one octave higher; the sharps and flats are on the row above each. Press ← or → to move the keys by one octave.
Can I play on a phone or tablet?
Yes. Tap the bars, and use several fingers to play more than one note. The arrows above the bars move along the instrument. On an iPhone, turn off silent mode if you hear nothing.
Can I connect a MIDI keyboard?
Yes, in Chrome, Edge and Opera. Press MIDI and allow access; your keys play the selected sound, and the sustain pedal works with the vibraphone.
Can I change the sound while I play?
Yes. Pick another sound at any time. Bars that are still ringing finish on the old sound, and new notes use the new one as soon as it has loaded.
What is the difference between a xylophone, a marimba and a glockenspiel?
A xylophone has hard wooden bars with a short, bright sound. A marimba has wider wooden bars and longer resonators, so it sounds lower and warmer. A glockenspiel has small steel bars that ring like bells, and a vibraphone has aluminium bars and a damper pedal.