Percussion Instruments (2022)

Musical Instruments are usually divided into four families: Percussion, Brass, Woodwinds, and Strings. All four instrument families are part of an Orchestra. The difference between an Orchestra and a Band is that there are no string instruments in a band.

A Percussion instrument makes sound when it is hit, shaken, or scraped. Some percussion instruments are tuned and can create different pitches, like the xylophone. Other percussion instruments, such as the snare drum, don't make a definite pitch. Unlike most of the other players in the orchestra or band, a percussionist will often play many different instruments in one piece of music. The most common percussion instruments in an orchestra or band include the timpani, xylophone, cymbals, triangle, snare drum, bass drum, tambourine, maracas, gongs, and chimes. In a Marching Band, percussion instruments that make different pitches make up the Front Ensemble, which is also known as the Pit. Instruments that do not make a definite pitch make up the Battery in a Marching Band. 

The xylophone has a Greek name that means "wood sound." The modern xylophone has wooden bars arranged like the keys of the piano, which the player hits with a mallet. Located beneath the wooden bars are tubes called resonators, which make the sound of the bars louder. There are several other instruments similar to the xylophone. The marimba is a larger version of a xylophone, which makes lower sounds. The vibraphone has metal bars and resonators with small rotating disks inside. The disks are attached to a rod, which is turned by an electric motor. When you play a sustained note on the vibes and the motor is running, the disks create vibrato, or a wiggly pitch. Another instrument similar to the xylophone is the glockenspiel which is sometimes known as bells. The percussionist uses hard mallets to play the glockenspiels metal bars, creating a sound like clear, high pitched bells. People disagree about whether the piano is a percussion or a string instrument. It is a tuned instrument, and you can play many notes at once using both your hands. In the front ensemble of the marching band, the piano is usually replaced by a Synthesizer, which is an electronic instrument played like a piano. It can make an endless variety of sounds.

Timpani are big copper pots with drumheads stretched over their tops. Timpani are tuned instruments, which means they can play different pitches. The timpanist changes the pitch by stretching or loosening the drumheads, which are attached to a foot pedal. The timpani player must have a very good ear because they usually need to change the pitches of the drums during performances.

In addition to keyboard instruments and timpani, many other percussion instruments are often grouped with the front ensemble of a marching band in what is called the rack. In the rack, one or more percussionists may play instruments such as the tambourine, maracas, gong, chimes, or cymbals. A tambourine is a small drum with metal jingles set into the edges. Both the drumhead and the jingles are untuned. To play it, you hold it in one hand and tap, shake or hit it, usually against your other hand. Maracas are rattles, often made from gourds, filled with dried seeds, beads or even tiny ball bearings that make them rattle. Maracas can also be made of wood or plastic; the sound they make depends on what they're made of. To play them, you hold them in your hands and shake. The gong is a very large metal plate that hangs suspended from a metal pipe. It looks similar to a cymbal and is also untuned, but is much larger and has a raised center. To play it, you hit the center with a soft mallet. Depending on how hard you hit it, you can make a deafening crash or the softest flicker of sound. Chimes are metal tubes of different lengths that are hung from a metal frame. When you strike the tubes with a mallet, they sound like the ringing bells. Each chime sounds a different pitch.

Cymbals are large metal discs, usually made of spun bronze. Cymbals, which are untuned, can be quite small or very large. The larger the cymbal, the lower the sound they make. You can play the cymbals either by hitting one cymbal against the other, or you can use sticks, mallets or brushes to hit one or both cymbals. Cymbals can be part of either the battery or the front ensemble.

The snare drum is a drum made of wood or metal with drumheads stretched over both ends of a hollow cylinder. It has a set of wire strings stretched across the bottom head which give the snare drum its unique "rattling" sound when the drum is hit. A small switch on the side of the drum allows the player to turn the snare on or off depending on what the music needs. The snare drum is an untuned drum, so it doesn't sound distinct pitches. It is often used in military music and is a central part of any marching band. Snare drums are used to keep the rhythm and make special sounds, such as drumrolls. You play the snare drum by hitting the top with drumsticks, mallets or brushes.

Tenor drums are a set of 4 to 6 drums attached together. The different size drums make different sounds, with the larger ones sounding lower than the smaller drums.

The bass drum is the biggest member of the percussion family and therefore makes the lowest sounds. The bass drum is built like a very large snare drum without the snare. You play the bass drum by hitting either drumhead with sticks that have large soft heads, often covered with sheepskin or felt. 

Percussion instruments are the oldest and largest family of musical instruments. Their use enhances the sound of any musical ensemble with their exciting sounds.