The marimba’s range in notes and hertz
There is no single standard size: 4.3, 4.5 and 5 octaves are the common ones, and all share the top C7. A marimba is written at pitch.
Written and sounding pitch
The marimba reads at concert pitch in treble and bass clef: a written note sounds as written, so the range above is both the sound and the page.
Range by size
| Size | Sounding | Span |
|---|---|---|
| 4.3 octaves | A2–C7 | 4.3 octaves |
| 5 octaves | C2–C7 | 5 octaves |
Instruments with a similar range
The instruments whose normal range shares the most notes with the marimba’s:
- Piano · A0–C8 61 notes shared
- Cello · C2–A6 58 notes shared
- Harp · C2–A6 58 notes shared
- 7-string guitar · B1–C♯6 50 notes shared
- 8-string guitar · F♯1–C♯6 50 notes shared
- Viola · C3–D7 49 notes shared
Tune it, play it
- Marimba tuner — tune by microphone, with the marimba’s own target notes.
- Play a marimba online — the same range, playable in your browser.
Songs that fit the marimba
36 songs from our public-domain library fit inside the marimba’s range, each written out in the notation marimba players read:
- Hot Cross Buns
- Lightly Row
- Going Home (New World Largo)
- Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
- Happy Birthday
- Ode to Joy
- Mary Had a Little Lamb
- Row, Row, Row Your Boat
- Jingle Bells
- We Wish You a Merry Christmas
- Yankee Doodle
- Silent Night
Frequently asked questions
What is the range of a marimba?
The marimba’s normal range runs from C2 to C7 — 65.41 to 2093.0 Hz, about 5 octaves.
What is the lowest note on a marimba?
C2 (65.41 Hz).
What is the highest note on a marimba?
C7 (2093.0 Hz).
Sources
- The chart behind our playable marimba, itself checked note by note against published charts.