vibraphone

American  

[vahy-bruh-fohn] / ˈvaɪ brəˌfoʊn /

noun

1. Also vibes a musical percussion instrument that resembles a marimba and is played with mallets, but that has metal instead of wooden bars and has a set of electrically powered resonators for sustaining the tone or creating a vibrato.

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vibraphone British  

/ ˈvaɪbrəˌfəʊn, ˈvaɪbrəˌhɑːp /

noun

1. a percussion instrument, used esp in jazz, consisting of a set of metal bars placed over tubular metal resonators, which are made to vibrate electronically

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Other Word Forms

• vibraphonist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of vibraphone

First recorded in 1925–30; from Latin vibrā(re) “to shake” + -phone

Compare meaning

How does vibraphone compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• vibraphone vs. xylophone

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

vibraphone

But the track has a notable omission: the very instrument Roy Ayers was known for, the vibraphone.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026

And Mr. Smith, who also uses electronics, employed a trap set, vibraphone, and much of a symphony orchestra’s percussion section.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 27, 2026

He studied vibraphone and percussion and began incorporating Latin jazz into his own music, recording his first two albums.

From BBC ● Dec. 27, 2025

The riches haven’t materialized yet, DeBardi stressed, as he listed the instruments — everything from a vibraphone to timpanis to guitars — he bought on the cheap when he had “like, $300 to my name.”

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 16, 2024

Music historians will always remember him as the man who introduced the vibraphone into jazz.

From 100 New Yorkers of the 1970s by Max Millard