A damper for sound conducted or propagating in solids is constructed to ecially damp oscillations or vibrations of the bending type particularly in plates, housings, girders, rails, rods, etc. The damper is connected to the structural member to be damped in such a manner that the damping force is taken up by the structure member itself. For this purpose a damping element having a high rigidity against bending is secured longitudinally to a structural member to be damped. The structural member and the element form the damping unit. Due to the high flexural rigidity, the damping element behaves like a solid platform or a fixed point, such that vibrations of the structural member cause a relative motion between the structural member and the damping element. This relative motion provides excellent damping characteristics which may even be improved by placing a viscous damping material between the structural member and the element.