The origin of the marimba is uncertain; some believe that it had originated in Southeast Asia by the 14th Century, and others that it came from Africa. The instrument was brought to South America in the early 16th Century by either African slaves or by pre-Columbian African contact.

The marimba is an idiophone that is sounded by striking wooden bars with a mallet. Its name is derived from Bantu languages in which rimba suggests a "flattish object sticking out" such as a note or key, and ma is a cumulative prefix; thus, marimba is equivalent to many keys.

Early marimbas were made of wooden bars or keys, with resonating gourds suspended below. Each gourd was individually tuned to the primary pitch of its corresponding key. The gourd was interiorly fitted with a mirliton or natural membrane (tripa de puerco) which created the buzzing or reverberating sound for which the marimba is known. These traditional marimbas are still made in rural villages, mainly in Guatemala and Mexico, and are usually played either by attaching the instrument to a frame with wooden legs or by hanging it from the player’s waist.

The marimba is the national instrument in Guatemala where it is used in religious ceremonies, as well as in social or community events. The marimba has traditionally been played, although to a lesser extent, in Brazil, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Cuba, and Peru. While the marimba has been manufactured for orchestral use in the United States since 1910, it is currently gaining popularity both as a solo and orchestral instrument, as well as in jazz circles.

The keys of the modern marimba are usually constructed of rosewood, and the resonators of brass or aluminum. The resonators (pipes) are graduated in length (as are the keys) and closed on one end (the end facing the floor). The marimba has a two-level keyboard, similar to a piano’s division of black and white keys, allowing the full chromatic range to be represented. The most common orchestral marimba is four octaves , and the solo marimba is between four-and-a-third and five octaves. Larger instruments (up to six-and-a-half octaves) are found in the villages of Guatemala and Mexico, where they may be played by two or three persons simultaneously, each using two to four mallets. The modern orchestral marimba is mounted on a standing frame and played from a standing position.

The initial sound produced by the mallet striking the bar is the fundamental, and the tones created by the vibrating bar are the overtones. As the bar is free on both ends, both odd- and even-numbered overtones are produced. While the primary overtone of a xylophone is one octave and a fifth above the fundamental, the primary overtone of a marimba is precisely two octaves above the fundamental.

Each resonator is tuned to the pitch of its bar’s fundamental tone, and helps in producing a stronger sounding of the fundamental and the odd-numbered overtones. A common misconception is that the resonator prolongs the key’s sound, when in reality the opposite is true. When a resonator is used, two sources (the resonator and the key) vibrate instead of one. The close proximity of two vibrating elements causes a more rapid decay of the sound. However, when using a resonator, the initial sound is louder and therefore remains within the normal range of hearing for longer than a note struck without the use of a resonator; thus accounting for the illusion of a prolonged pitch.

The marimba can be played with either two or four mallets. The mallets are commonly made of birch or rattan, topped with heads of rubber, plastic, or wood, and usually wrapped in yarn or cord. A heavy mallet or one made from softer material results in longer contact or compression with the bar, producing a louder sound which is quickly dampened. A light mallet or one made of rigid material rebounds quickly, producing a softer, yet fuller, longer tone.