The term 'relative of a xylophone' can refer to two instruments: the MARIMBA and the DULCIMER. The MARIMBA is a percussion instrument that consists of a set of wooden bars struck with mallets to produce musical tones. It is of African origin and is popular in Latin American music. The DULCIMER is a stringed instrument that is played by plucking or strumming its strings. It is believed to have originated in the Middle East and is popular in folk music. Both the MARIMBA and the DULCIMER are related to the xylophone, as they all belong to the percussion and stringed instrument families.