Percussion instrument

Timbales

A percussion instrument is a type of musical instrument that sounds when struck, shaken, or scraped by a drumstick, mallet, or toothpick including attached or closed beaters or rattles struck, scraped, or rubbed with the hand or struck against another similar instrument. Excluding the instruments of zoomusicology and the human voice, the percussion family is believed to include the oldest musical instruments.

The percussion section of an orchestra typically contains instruments such as timpani, bass drum, cymbals, triangular, and tambourine. However, the section may also contain non-percussive instruments, such as a whistle and siren, or a blown conch shell. Percussion techniques can even be applied to the human body itself, as in body percussion. On the other hand, keyboard instruments such as the celesta are not usually part of the percussion section, but keyboard percussion instruments such as the glockenspiel and xylophone (which do not have piano keyboards) are included.

Percussion is distinguished by the variety of timbres it is capable of producing and by its ease of adaptation with other musical instruments. It should be noted that a wide variety of sounds can be obtained depending on the drumsticks or mallets used to hit some of the percussion instruments.

A percussion instrument can be used to create rhythm patterns (drums, tam-tam, caja vallenata, among others) or to emit musical notes (xylophone).

Cashier playing a valley box

Usually accompanies others in order to create and keep pace. Some of the most famous percussion instruments are the snare (drum) and drums.

Classification

Atabaque

Pencil and maracas players

Percussion instruments can be classified into two categories according to tuning:

• High defined (fined): Those who produce identifiable notes. I mean, those whose sound height is determined.
  Some are: the timbal, the vibe, the bell, the tubular bell, the metallic drums of Trinidad or the Glockenspiel, which is like a xylophone but with metal foils.
• Undefined height (not refined): They produce non-identifiable notes, that is, produce notes of an undetermined height.

Among them are: the bass drum, the caja, the cajón, the afuche, the castanets, the claves, the cowbell, the cymbal, the güiro, the matraca, the zambomba, the conga, the bongo, the vibraslap, the jaw, the tuntaina or victory

In orchestras, a difference is usually made between:

• Patch percussion
• Percussion of foils
• Little percussion

By the method of sound production

According to other criteria, they can be classified into two categories:

• Membranophones that use a tensed membrane or a little loose.
• Idiophones, that their own bodies are those that produce vibration and therefore sound, as the triangle.

This classification is also not strict; for example, the tambourine is a membranophone and an idiophone because it has both, in the skin and in the bells. The same case applies to the pans.

Membranophone

Most musical instruments commonly known as drums are membranophones. Membranophones produce sound when the membrane or head is struck with a hand, mallet, stick, whisk, or makeshift tool.

Examples of membranophones:

Idiophone

Idiophones produce sounds through whole-body vibration Examples of idiophones:

Function

Percussion instruments can play not only rhythm, but also melody and harmony.

Percussion is commonly known as "the backbone" or "the beat of the heart" of a musical ensemble, and often works closely with the bass instruments, when present. In jazz and other popular music ensembles, the pianist, bassist, drummer, and sometimes the guitarist are referred to as a section. rhythmic. Most classical pieces written for full orchestra since the days of Haydn and Mozart are orchestrated to emphasize strings, woodwinds, and brass. However, often at least one pair of timpani is included, although they rarely play continuously. Rather, they serve to provide additional accents when necessary. In the 18th and 19th centuries, other percussion instruments (such as the triangular or cymbals) were used, again generally sparingly. The use of percussion instruments became more prevalent in classical music of the 20th century.

In almost all musical styles, percussion plays a central role. In military brass bands and pipe bands, it is the rhythm of the bass drum that keeps the soldiers in step and at regular speed, and it is the box that provides that crisp and decisive air to the melody of a regiment. In classic jazz, one almost immediately thinks of the distinctive rhythm of hi-hats or ride cymbal when the word swing is spoken. In today's popular music culture, it's almost impossible to name three or four rock, hip-hop, rap, funk, or even soul songs that don't have some kind of percussive beat that keeps the melody in time.

Due to the diversity of percussion instruments, it is not uncommon to find large musical ensembles composed exclusively of percussion. Rhythm, melody, and harmony are represented in these sets. They tend to start playing at a younger age in the case of the most talented individuals, commonly starting at 10 - 12 years old.

Instrument by its category

• Category of percussion instruments
• Wind Instrument
• String instrument
• Electronic musical instrument