Common instruments used in Gospel music are:
Tambourine
The tambourine is a popular hand-held instrument that is often played by a number of members of any given Gospel choir. It’s lightweight, held in one hand, and easy to play, especially in a genre with such a heavy focus on rhythm. In essence, the tambourine helps keep the whole choir on the beat.
Organ
The organ, a piano-like keyboard instrument that makes music by pushing air through pipes of various lengths, is a fixture in Gospel music. This is undeniable due to the fact that organs are found in churches across the world. As a popular instrument in all church music, it’s not hard to understand how it made its way into Gospel!
Piano
In addition to the organ, the traditional piano is also often found in Gospel music. Pianos are often used to accompany the singer in slower-paced songs, especially when it is a solo backed up by the choir.
Drums
With such a rhythm-heavy genre, it’s no surprise that the drums are an important part of the music. The drums provide that beat for the audience to clap along to. This connects Gospel to other forms of music with deep connections to Africa, where drums are an important part of most musical performances.
Bass Guitar
As another part of the rhythm section, the bass guitar is also prominently found throughout Gospel music. This is partly thanks to the evolution and interplay of music between Gospel and the blues. Like the blues, Gospel music often features soulful tunes, which lend themselves to the bass guitar.
Oftentimes clapping and foot-stomping helps to support the percussion of the songs, particularly for acapella Gospel music.