A percussion instrument, similar to the xylophone.

The orchestral glockenspiel is made up of a series of tuned steel bars laid out chromatically in the same manner as a piano keyboard. The width of the bars varies between 1 and 1½ inches. The bars of the glockenspiel give a high, bright, bell-like sound when struck by a mallet.

A modern development on this instrument is the pedal damper, which can be depressed to sustain the sound.

The range of the instrument can vary between 2½ and 3½ octaves. Mallets can be made from brass, plastic, hard rubber or wood.