Specific Percussion Instruments

Bass, snare and hi-hat cymbals are part of a standard drum kit.

Percussion instruments are characterized by the way you play them. Typical percussion instruments are struck or beaten. They are further categorized according to their form and function. "Tuned percussion" refers to percussion instruments that make notes, such as xylophones. "Marching percussion" refers mainly to drums and cymbals typically used in the military context. "Hand percussion" instruments are those that don't require a beater or stick, such as shakers.

Bass Drum

Bass drums are used in formal, military and rock bands to equal effect.

These are large, circular drums with a tightly-fitted skin on both sides. You can use the bass drum as individual instrument or as part of kit. In marching bands, you strap the bass drum to your body and beat each side with a soft-headed mallet or wooden stick. When used as part of a kit, the bass drums sits on its side and you use a foot-operated pedal beater to strike the skin on one side. In an orchestra, the bass drum rests on a stand and the percussionist beats it with a soft-headed mallet.

Snare

The snare drum is an integral part of a standard drum set.

The snare is similar to the bass drum in that you can use it for marching or as part of a kit. It is similarly circular with tightly-fitted skin on both sides. The crucial difference is that the lower skin is fitted with a metal snare. This gives the drum a distinctive rattle. It is smaller and higher pitched than a bass drum.

Bongos

You play bongos with your hands.

Bongos are not part of the classical percussion family, but they definitely satisfy the percussion criteria. Bongos come in pairs and are joined together by a metal strut. The deeper pitched drum is referred to as the male, or "macho" bongo and the smaller and higher pitched drum is the female, or "hembra" bongo.

Cymbals

Cymbals are clashed together by hand or fixed to a stand and hit with a stick.

These are concave metal discs, either played with a stick or clashed together in pairs. The sound of a cymbal is largely determined by its circumference, density of the metal and the degree to which it is concave.

Shakers

Some shakers have a handle, others can be clasped inside the palm.

Shakers come in a variety of sizes including egg-shaped, rectangular and cylindrical. Typically the shaker is a plastic or wooden container filled with confetti rice or sand. The amount of shaker material determines the density of the sound. Shakers are often decorated.

Piano

The piano is rarely grouped with the rest of the percussion family.

The piano is often overlooked as a percussion instrument due to its immense melodic capabilities. But since the sounds are produced by a hammer hitting the strings, the piano satisfies the percussion criteria.

Xlyophone

The xylophone is easy to learn but difficult to master.

The xylophone comprises an arrangement of wooden blocks that rest on a frame. Each wooden block is a different length. When struck, the smaller blocks create a higher sound and the larger blocks create a deeper and lower sound.

References

• Orsymphony: Percussion Family
• Bob Farley: Bongo History
• Sound Junction: Tuned Percussion

Resources

• Marching Drums