The marimba ( mærimbə ) is a musical instrument in the percussion family. It consists of a set of wooden bars with resonators. The bars are struck with malletsto produce musical tones. The bars are arranged as those of a piano, with theaccidentals raised vertically and overlapping the natural bars (similar to a piano) to aid the performer both visually and physically. This instrument is a type of xylophone, but with broader and lower tonal range and resonators.Marimba traces its origins to west and central Africa. In 16th and 17th century, marimba (balafon) was introduced to Central America and Caribbean, by African slaves. They became widespread across Central America in 18th and 19th century, and new construction were developed; at the end of the 19th century, it acquired second row of keys, providing chromatic scale. During the 20th century, its use expanded worldwide, to popular music, jazz and classical music.Modern uses of the marimba include solo performances, woodwind and brassensembles, marimba concertos, jazz ensembles, marching band (front ensembles),drum and bugle corps, and orchestral compositions. Contemporary composers have utilized the unique sound of the marimba more and more in recent years.