The marimba is a percussion instrument categorized as an idiophone. It consists of a series of wooden bars that are struck with mallets to produce sound. Each bar features a resonator pipe positioned underneath it, which serves to amplify specific harmonics of the instrument's tone.
In terms of musical characteristics, the marimba typically possesses a lower range than the xylophone. The bars are generally arranged chromatically, following a layout similar to the keys on a piano.