Descripción:

The research project traverses the cantons of the Guanacaste province to analyze, observe, and describe the assembling processes of two key elements of the marimba: the keyboard and the resonators. There seem to be keyboard measurements and resonator patterns that have been passed on from generation to generation, making an instrument more or less homogeneous to the region but, unfortunately when tuned, these instruments vary a lot in terms of sound quality. For this reason, this research makes the hypothesis that this is mainly due to the keyboard’s wood type, its treatment, and cuts. Though the type of sealing in the resonators and the distance between the mouth and the key pieces also play a part.

Now then, to achieve an empirical approach, visitations to assemblers and some marimba players, who own the instrument, will be done, with the goal of measuring their keyboards and resonators in terms of length and thickness, as well as wood types and their curing and selecting processes. The making of resonators, their measurements, and woods will also be part of it. All this to finalize the types and forms of tuning of keyboards and resonators.