| A percussion instrument can be any object
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| | musical context, are played by the
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| which produces a sound by being struck
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| | percussionists in an ensemble. Examples
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| with an implement, shaken, rubbed,
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| | of aerophones:
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| scraped, or by any other action which
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| | Whips
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| sets the object into vibration. The term
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| | Siren
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| usually applies to an object used in a
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| | Pistols: The explosion of hot expanding
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| rhythmic context and/or with musical
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| | gases from the muzzle of a starter pistol
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| intent.
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| | produces sound.
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| The word, "percussion", has evolved from
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| | Electrophone
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| Latin terms: "percussio" (which
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| | Electrophones are also percussion
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| translates as "to beat, strike" in the
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| | instruments. In the strictest sense, all
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| musical sense, rather than the violent
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| | electrophones require a loudspeaker (an
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| action), and "percussus" (which is a noun
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| | idiophone or some other means to push air
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| meaning "a beating"). As a noun in
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| | and create sound waves). This, if for no
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| contemporary English it is described at
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| | other argument, is sufficient to assign
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| Wiktionary as "the collision of two
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| | electrophones to the percussion family.
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| bodies to produce a sound". The usage of
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| | Moreover, many composers have used the
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| the term is not unique to music but has
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| | following example instruments and they
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| application in medicine and weaponry, as
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| | are most often performed by
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| in percussion cap, but all known and
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| | percussionists in an ensemble. Examples
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| common uses of the word, "percussion",
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| | of electrophones:
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| appear to share a similar lineage
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| | Computers and MIDI instruments (i.e. drum
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| beginning with the original Latin:
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| | machines or zendrums)
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| "percussus". In a musical context then,
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| | Radios
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| the term "percussion instruments" may
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| | Theremin
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| have been coined originally to describe a
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| | Typewriter (Although, mechanical
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| family of instruments including drums,
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| | typewriter which do not use electricity
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| rattles, metal plates, or wooden blocks
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| | are strictly idiophones.)
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| which musicians would beat or strike (as
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| | By musical function/orchestration
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| in a collision) to produce sound.
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| | It is in this paradigm that it is useful
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| History
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| | to define percussion instruments as
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| Anthropologists and historians often
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| | either having definite pitch or
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| explain that percussion instruments were
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| | indefinite pitch. For example, some
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| the first musical devices ever created.
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| | instruments such as the marimba and
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| The first musical instrument used by
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| | timpani produce an obvious fundamental
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| humans was the voice but percussion
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| | pitch and can therefore play melody and
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| instruments such as our hands and feet,
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| | serve harmonic functions in music while
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| then sticks, rocks, and logs were the
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| | other instruments such as crash cymbals
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| next steps in the evolution of music.
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| | and snare drums produce sounds with such
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| The earliest percussion instruments would
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| | complex overtones and a wide range of
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| have been "found" objects such as sticks,
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| | prominent frequencies that no pitch is
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| logs, and rocks. As human communities
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| | discernible.
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| developed tools for hunting and
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| | Definite pitch
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| eventually agriculture, their skill and
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| | Instruments in this group are sometimes
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| technology enabled them to craft more
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| | referred to as "pitched" or "tuned".
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| complex instruments. For example, a
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| | Examples of percussion instruments with
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| simple log may have been carved and
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| | definite pitch:
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| 'hollowed-out' to produce louder tones (a
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| | Timpani
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| log drum) and instruments may have been
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| | Marimba
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| combined to produce multiple tones (as in
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| | Doorbells
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| a 'set' of log drums).
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| | Car horns
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| Classifications
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| | Glass harp
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| Percussion instruments can be, and indeed
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| | Glass harmonica
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| are, classified by various criteria
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| | Indefinite pitch
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| sometimes depending on their
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| | Instruments in this group are sometimes
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| construction, ethnic origin, their
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| | referred to as "non-pitched",
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| function within musical theory and
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| | "unpitched", or "untuned". This
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| orchestration, or their relative
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| | phenomenon occurs when the resultant
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| prevalence in common knowledge. It is not
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| | sound of the instrument contains complex
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| sufficient to describe percussion
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| | frequencies through which no discernible
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| instruments as being either "pitched" or
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| | pitch can be heard.
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| "unpitched" which is often a tendency;
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| | Examples of percussion instruments with
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| rather it may be more informative to
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| | indefinite pitch:
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| describe percussion instruments in
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| | Snare drum
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| regards to one or more of the following
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| | Crash cymbals
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| four paradigms:
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| | Whistles
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| By methods of sound production
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| | Air raid sirens
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| Many texts, including Teaching Percussion
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| | By prevelance in common knowledge
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| by Gary Cook of the University of
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| | Although it is difficult to define what
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| Arizona, begin by studying the physical
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| | is "common knowledge", there are
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| characteristics of instruments and the
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| | instruments in use by percussionists and
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| methods by which they produce sound. This
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| | composers in contemporary music which are
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| is perhaps the most scientifically
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| | certainly not considered by most to be
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| pleasing assignment of nomenclature
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| | musical instruments of any kind.
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| whereas the other paradigms are more
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| | Therefore, it is worthwhile to try to
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| dependent on historical or social
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| | make distinction between instruments
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| circumstances. Based on observation and
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| | based on their acceptance or
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| experiment, one can determine exactly how
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| | consideration by a general audience. For
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| an instrument produces sound and then
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| | example, it is safe to argue that most
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| assign the instrument to one of the
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| | people would not consider an anvil, a
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| following five categories:
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| | brake drum (the circular hub on modern
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| Idiophone
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| | vehicles which houses the brakes), or a
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| "Idiophones produce sound when their
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| | fifty-five gallon oil barrel to be
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| bodes are caused to vibrate." (Cook,
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| | musical instruments, yet these objects
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| 2006)
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| | are used regularly by composers and
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| Examples of idiophones:
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| | percussionists of modern music.
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| Celesta
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| | One might assign various percussion
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| Crash cymbals
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| | instruments to one of the following
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| Marimba
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| | categories:
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| Pogo cello
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| | Conventional/Popular
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| Singing bowls
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| | Drum kit
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| Wood block
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| | Tambourine
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| Membranophone
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| | Gong
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| Most objects commonly known as "drums"
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| | Unconventional
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| are membranophones. "Membranophones
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| | (Sometimes referred to as "found"
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| produce sound when the membrane or head
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| | instruments)
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| is put into motion." (Cook, 2006)
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| | spokes on a bicycle wheel
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| Examples of membranophone:
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| | brooms
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| Tom-tom
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| | a shopping cart
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| Snare drum
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| | metal pipes
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| Timpani
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| | clay pots
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| Lion's roar: The lion's roar might be,
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| | garbage cans
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| incorrectly, considered a chordophone as
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| | John Cage, Harry Partch, Edgard Varese,
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| rope or string is used to activate the
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| | all of whom are notable composers,
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| membrane. However, it is the membrane
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| | created entire pieces of music using
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| which sounds.
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| | unconventional instruments. Beginning in
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| Wind machines: A wind machine in this
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| | the early 20th century, perhaps with
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| context is not a wind tunnel and
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| | Ionisation by Edgard Varese which used
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| therefore not an aerophone. Instead, it
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| | air-raid sirens (among other things),
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| is an aparatus (often used in theatre as
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| | composers began to require percussionists
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| a sound effect) in which a sheet of
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| | to invent or "find" objects to produce
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| canvas (a membrane) is rubbed against a
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| | the desired sounds and textures. By
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| screen or resonator -- this activity
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| | late-20th century, such instruments had
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| produces a sound which resembles the
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| | become common in modern percussion
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| blowing of wind.
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| | ensemble music and popular productions
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| Chordophone
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| | such as the off-broadway show, STOMP.
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| Most instruments known as "chordophones"
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| | By cultural significance/tradition
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| are defined as string instruments, but
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| | This topic should be investigated with
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| some such as these examples are,
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| | caution so as to avoid being politically
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| arguably, percussion instruments also.
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| | or historically incorrect. Nevertheless,
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| Hammered dulcimer
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| | it is not uncommon to discuss percussion
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| Piano
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| | instruments in relation to their cultural
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| Aerophone
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| | origin which has led to a dualism between
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| Most instruments known as "aerophones"
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| | instruments which are considered "common"
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| are defined as wind instruments such as a
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| | or "modern" and those which have a
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| saxophone whereby sound is produced by a
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| | significant history and/or significant
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| person or thing blowing air through the
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| | purpose within a geographic region or
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| object. However, the following example
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| | among a specific demographic of the
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| instruments, if played at all in a
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| | world's population.
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