- 1). Turn off the motor and adjust the fins--the rotating discs inside the resonators--so that the resonators are closed off. Because vibraphones produce a fuller sound than xylophones, this will help thin out the tone and reduce the amplifying effect of the resonators.
- 2). Adjust the felt strip so that it fully dampens the bars. On most models, this can be done by loosening the circular nut, located underneath the felt strip. Maximum dampening will produce a staccato sound, similar to the xylophone. If long tones appear in the music, use mallets to roll notes rather than employing the sustain pedal.
- 3). Use hard vibraphone or marimba mallets. Yarn or cord mallets with a hard core are best, because they produce the most percussive sound without damaging the aluminum bars. Don’t use xylophone mallets, because they could damage the bars.
- 4). Pay attention to range. Because the xylophone’s range is higher than the vibraphone’s, you’ll need to play an octave above written notes when reading xylophone music.