Percussion is the largest family of musical instruments today. The sound from instruments of this type is extracted by striking the surface of the sounding body. The sounding body can take various shapes and be made from a variety of materials. In addition, instead of striking, shaking is allowed - essentially, indirect striking with sticks, hammers or beaters on the same sounding body.
The history of the appearance of the first percussion instruments
Percussion instruments are among the most ancient. The first prototype of a percussion instrument appeared when primitive people By hitting stone against stone, they created a kind of rhythm for ritual dances or simply in everyday household chores (crushing nuts, grinding grain, etc.).
In fact, any device that produces measured noise can be called a percussion instrument. At first it was stones or sticks, planks. Later, the idea came to tap the rhythm on skin stretched over a hollow body - the first drums.
When excavating tribal settlement sites Central Africa And Far East archaeologists have discovered more similar to more modern designs Obviously, it was they who at one time served as an example for the creation of European percussion instruments.
Functional features of percussion instruments
The sound produced by percussion instruments comes from primitive rhythmic melodies. Clinking and ringing prototypes of modern percussion musical instruments were used during ritual dances by the peoples of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, Asian countries.
But representatives of the ancient Arab states used percussion instruments, in particular drums, in military campaigns. This tradition European peoples adopted much later. Poorly melodic, but loud and rhythmic, drums became an invariable accompaniment of military marches and anthems.
And in the orchestra, percussion instruments have found quite wide application. At first, he was denied access to European academic music. Gradually, drums found their use in dramatic music within opera and ballet orchestras, and only then did they find their way into symphony orchestras. But today it is difficult to imagine an orchestra without drums, timpani, cymbals, tambourine, tambourine or triangle.
Classification of percussion instruments
The group of percussion musical instruments is not only numerous, but also very unstable. Several different ways their classification, so one and the same instrument can belong to several subgroups at once.
The most common percussion instruments today are timpani, vibraphone, xylophone; various types drums, tambourines, African tam-tam drum, as well as triangle, cymbals, and many others.
Musical instruments. Percussion instruments
Here we come to getting acquainted with the most ancient instruments. Tens of thousands of years ago, a man took a stone in both hands and began to knock them against each other. This is how the first percussion instrument appeared. This primitive device, which could not yet produce music, but could already produce rhythm, has survived in the everyday life of some peoples to this day: for example, among the aborigines of Australia, two ordinary stones still play the role of a percussion instrument.
Drums are much older than all other instruments: almost all researchers agree that instrumental music It started with rhythm, and then the melody emerged.
There is confirmation of this: during excavations in the village of Mezin near Chernigov, percussion instruments of a rather complex shape, made from jaws, cranial and scapular bones of animals, were discovered. There were even mallets made from mammoth tusks. An entire ensemble of six instruments, 20,000 years old. Of course, the man guessed just to hit a stone with a stone even earlier.
The name of this group comes from the method of producing sound - hitting stretched leather or metal plates, wooden blocks, etc. But look closely and you will see that the drums differ in everything else: in shape, size, material, and character sound.
In addition, drums are usually divided into two large groups. The first category includes those percussion instruments that have tuning. These are timpani, bells, bells, xylophone, etc. You can play a melody on them, and their sounds, on equal terms with the voices of other instruments, can be included in an orchestral chord or melody.
And the sound of a drum, for example, contains so many disordered frequencies that we cannot relate it to any sound of a piano, cannot determine whether the drum is tuned to G, E or B. From a physics perspective, a drum makes noise, not musical sound. The same can be said about the tambourine, cymbals, castanets. But, despite this seemingly unmusicality, these instruments are very necessary - some for rhythm, others for various effects and nuances. These are instruments of the second group that do not have a specific pitch.
Have you noticed that the drum and timpani, which are very similar to each other, fell into different groups. But there is another system of dividing percussion instruments - into membrane ones (which have a stretched skin - membrane) and self-sounding ones. Here the drum and timpani will fall into the same group, since their sounding element is the same - the membrane. And the cymbals, which, due to an uncertain pitch of sound, were in the same group with the drum, will now fall into another, since their sound is formed by the body of the instrument itself. What is important for you and me is that they play a very important role in music.
Drum- one of the most common percussion instruments. Two types of drums - large and small - have long been part of symphony and brass orchestras.
The sound of the drum does not have a certain pitch, so its part is not recorded on a stave, but on a “thread” - one ruler on which only the rhythm is indicated.
Listening: Bass drum, instrument sound.
The big drum is played using wooden sticks with soft mallets at the end. They are made from cork or felt.
The bass drum sounds powerful. His voice is reminiscent of thunder or cannon shots. Therefore it is often used in for visual purposes. For example, in the Sixth Symphony, L. Beethoven used it to convey the sound of thunder. And in Shostakovich's Eleventh Symphony, the big drum represents cannon shots.
Listening: L. Beethoven. Symphony No. 6 “Pastoral”, IV movement. "Storm".
Listening: Snare drum, instrument sound.
The snare drum has a dry and distinct sound. His beat emphasizes the rhythm well, sometimes enlivens the music, sometimes adds anxiety. It is played with two sticks.
Many people think that playing the drum is as easy as shelling pears. I would like to give you an example: when Ravel’s “Bolero” is performed, the snare drum is pushed forward and placed next to the conductor’s stand, because in this work Ravel assigned the drum a very important role. A musician playing a snare drum must maintain the uniform rhythm of the Spanish dance, without slowing down or speeding it up. Expression gradually increases, more and more instruments are added, and the drummer is drawn to play a little faster. But this will distort the composer’s intention, and listeners will get a different impression. You see what kind of skill is required from a musician playing such a simple instrument in our understanding. D. Shostakovich even introduced three snare drums into the first part of his Seventh Symphony: they sound ominously in the episode of the fascist invasion.
The drum once had sinister functions: revolutionaries were led to execution under its measured beat, soldiers were driven through the ranks. And now, to the sound of drums and trumpets, they march in formation for the parade. African drums were once a means of communication, like the telegraph. The sound of the drum carries far, this is noticed and used. The signal drummers lived within hearing distance of each other. As soon as one of them began to transmit the message encoded in the drumbeat, the other received and passed it on to the next one. Thus, joyful or sad news spread over vast distances. Over time, the telegraph and telephone made this type of communication unnecessary, but even now in some African countries there are people who know the language of the drum.
Hearing: M. Ravel. "Bolero" (fragment).
Listening: The sound of a drum kit.
A symphony or brass band usually consists of two drums - a large and a small one. But in a jazz orchestra or pop ensemble, the drum kit, in addition to these two, includes up to seven tom-toms. These are also drums, their body looks like an elongated cylinder. Sound character: theirs is different. The drum kit also includes bongos - two small drums, one slightly larger than the other. They are combined into a single pair and played most often with the hands. Kongs can also be included in the setup - their body narrows downward, and the skin is stretched only on one side.
Listening: Timpani. The sound of the instrument.
Timpani- also a required participant symphony orchestra. This is a very ancient musical instrument. Many peoples have long had instruments consisting of a hollow vessel, the opening of which is covered with leather. It is from them that modern timpani originated. Their role is so important that some conductors take their timpanist with them on tour.
Timpani have a huge range of sound power: from imitation of thunder to a quiet, barely perceptible rustle or hum. They are more complex than a drum. They have a metal body in the form of a boiler. The body has certain, strictly calculated dimensions, which allows you to achieve a strict pitch. Therefore, a composer can write notes for timpani. The body comes in different sizes, which means the sound has different pitches. And if there are three timpani in the orchestra, that means there are already three notes. But this instrument can be tuned to several sounds. Then you get even a small scale.
Previously, rebuilding a timpani took some time. And every composer knew: if a sound of a different pitch is required, the timpanist must be given time to tighten the screws and rebuild the instrument. IN mid-19th century V. Musical masters equipped the timpani with a special mechanism that rearranges the timpani by simply pressing a pedal. Now timpanists have a new quality - small melodies have become available to them.
In ancient times, any war was literally unimaginable without drums, kettledrums, and trumpets. One Englishman said: “They usually try to make the army powerless by cutting it off from food; I advise, if we ever have a war with the French, to break through as many drums as possible for them.”
Timpani players and drummers enjoyed enormous authority. They had to be very brave, because they were at the head of the army. The main trophy in any battle was, of course, the banner. But the timpani were also a kind of symbol. Therefore, the musician was ready to die, but not give up with the timpani.
Listening: Poulenc. Concerto for organ, timpani and symphony. orchestra (fragment).
Listening: Xylophone, instrument range.
Word xylophone can be translated from Greek as “sounding tree.” It is surprisingly suitable for a musical instrument consisting of wooden blocks, which are played with two wooden sticks.
To obtain the familiar scale of wood, it is specially processed. Blocks of different sizes are cut from maple, spruce, walnut or rosewood, and the size is selected so that each block produces a sound of a strictly defined pitch when struck. They are placed in the same order as the keys on a piano, and are fastened together with laces at some distance from each other.
Listening: Mozart. "Serenade" (xylophone).
Listening: Marimba, instrument range.
Marimba. A type of xylophone - marimba.
These are the same wooden blocks, but in marimba they are equipped with metal tubes - resonators. This makes the marimba sound softer, not as clicky as a xylophone.
Marimba comes from Africa, where it still exists today. But the African marimba does not have metal resonators, but pumpkin ones.
Listening: Albeniz. "Asturias" from the "Spanish Suite" in Spanish. T. Cheremukhina (marimba).
Listening: Vibraphone, instrument range.
The design of another percussion instrument is interesting - vibraphone. As the name suggests, it produces a vibrating sound. Its sounding elements are made not of wood, but of metal. Under each metal plate there is a resonator tube, like a marimba. The upper holes of the tubes are covered with caps that can rotate, either opening or closing the hole. Frequent movement of the caps gives the effect of sound vibration. How more speed rotation of the covers, the more frequent the vibration. Nowadays electric motors are installed on vibraphones. The xylophone and marimba came to us from time immemorial, but the vibraphone is a very young instrument. It was created in America in the twenties of the twentieth century.
Listening: Celesta, instrument range.
Celesta. Half a century older than the vibraphone is the celesta, invented in 1886 in France. Externally, the celesta is a small piano. The keyboard is also a piano keyboard, with the same hammer action system. Only instead of strings, the celesta contains metal records inserted into wooden resonator boxes. The sound of the celesta is quiet, but very beautiful and gentle. It is no coincidence that she was given such a name: celesta in Latin - “Heavenly”.
Listening: I. Bach. Joke (celesta).
These instruments - xylophone, marimba, vibraphone and celesta - are polyphonic and can play a melody.
In 1874 French composer Saint-Saëns wrote a work he called “Dance of Death.” When it was performed for the first time, some listeners were seized with horror: they heard the sound of bones, as if Death was actually dancing - a terrible skeleton with a skull looking through empty eye sockets, with a scythe in his hands. The composer achieved this effect using a xylophone.
The family of percussion instruments is very diverse and numerous. Let's just list some other drums...
Listening: Bells, sound of an instrument.
Bells- a set of metal tubes of different lengths suspended in a special frame.
Listening: Glockenspiel (orchestral bells), sound of the instrument.
Bells- very similar to a toy metallophone, only it has more plates and the plates themselves are more harmonious.
Listening: Cymbals, instrument sound.
Well known to everyone plates.
Listening: Gong, sound of an instrument.
Gong- a large massive disk with curved edges, which, like no other, can create the impression of mystery, darkness, horror;
Listening: There, there, the sound of an instrument.
A type of gong that has a certain pitch is there-there, not precisely configurable.
Listening: Triangle, instrument sound.
Triangle- a steel rod, bent into a triangle, which, when struck with a metal rod, produces a transparent, gentle, pleasant sound. The list of percussion instruments goes on and on.
Questions and tasks:
- Which percussion instrument is the most ancient and which is the youngest?
- List as many percussion instruments as possible.
- What is a membrane?
- What groups and on what basis are percussion instruments divided?
- Name percussion instruments that have a certain pitch.
Presentation
Included:
1. Presentation - 33 slides, ppsx;
2. Sounds of music:
Bass drum, instrument sound, mp3;
Snare drum, instrument sound, mp3;
Sound of a drum kit, mp3;
Timpani, instrument sound, mp3;
Xylophone, instrument range, mp3;
Marimba, instrument range, mp3;
Vibraphone, instrument range, mp3;
Celesta, instrument range, mp3;
Bells, instrument sound, mp3;
Glockenspiel (orchestral bells), instrument sound, mp3;
Cymbals, instrument sound, mp3;
Gong, instrument sound, mp3;
Tam-tam, instrument sound, mp3;
Triangle, instrument sound, mp3;
Beethoven. Symphony No. 6 “Pastoral”, IV movement. "Thunderstorm", mp3;
Ravel. “Bolero” (fragment), mp3;
Poulenc. Concerto for organ, timpani and symphony. orchestra (fragment), mp3;
Mozart. “Serenade” (xylophone), mp3;
Albeniz. "Asturias" from the "Spanish Suite", in Spanish. T. Cheremukhina (marimba), mp3;
Bach. Joke (celesta), mp3;
3. Accompanying article, docx.
Drums folk instruments. Video tutorial
Russian folk percussion instruments are the first of three groups of folk instruments.A characteristic feature of Russian folk percussion instruments is that some of them were household items.Perhaps one of the most common Russian folk instruments is spoons. There used to be spoons wooden, and people began to use these wooden spoons as a percussion instrument. They usually played on three spoons, two of which were held in one hand, and the third in the other. Children often play on two spoons, fastened together Spoon performers are called spoons . There are very skillful spoon players who play on a large number of spoons, which are stuck both in their boots and in their belts.
The next percussion instrument, which was also a household item, is ruble . It is a wooden block with notches on one side. It was used to wash and iron clothes. If we run a wooden stick over it, we will hear a whole cascade of loud, crackling sounds.
Our next tool that we will get acquainted with will be ratchet . There are two varieties of this tool. A ratchet, which is a set of wooden plates tied together with a rope and a circular ratchet, inside of which there is a toothed drum, when rotated, the wooden plate hits it.
An equally popular percussion folk instrument is tambourine , which is a wooden hoop with small metal plates, with leather stretched on one side.
The next Russian folk percussion instrument is box . It is a block of wood, usually made from hardwood, with a small cavity underneath the top of the body that amplifies the sound produced by drumsticks or xylophones. The sound of this instrument conveys well the clatter of hooves or the clicking of heels in a dance.
Russia with its vast expanses cannot be imagined no C's horses, without coachmen. In the evening, in the snow, when visibility was very poor, it was necessary for people to hear the approaching three. For this purpose, bells and bells were hung under the horse's bow. Bell It is a metal cup open to the bottom with a striker (tongue) suspended inside. It sounds only in limbo. Bell it is a hollow ball in which a metal ball (or several balls) rolls freely and, when shaken, hits the walls, resulting in a sound produced, but duller than a bell.
So many songs and instrumental compositions are dedicated to the Russian troika and the coachmen that it became necessary to introduce a special musical instrument into the folk instrument orchestra, imitating the sound of the coachmen's bells and bells. This instrument was called - bells . A strap is sewn onto a small piece of leather the size of a palm to help hold the instrument in the palm. On the other hand, as many bells themselves as possible are sewn on. By shaking the bells or hitting them on the knee, the player produces sounds reminiscent of the ringing bells of the Russian troika.
Now we'll talk about a tool called kokoshnik .
In the old days, village watchmen were armed with so-called mallets. The watchman walked
at night around the village and knocked on it, letting fellow villagers know that he was not sleeping, but working, and at the same time scaring off thieves.
The percussion folk instrument kokoshnik is based on the principle of this sentry beater. Its basis is a small wooden frame covered with leather or plastic, which is struck by a ball suspended from the top. The player makes frequent oscillatory movements with his hand, causing the tied ball to swing from side to side and alternately hit the walls of the kokoshnik.
The next musical instrument is called firewood . It consists of logs tied with rope of different lengths. Not all wood will sound good. It is better to take hardwood firewood. The logs are taken of different lengths, but approximately the same thickness. After the instrument is made, it is tuned.
We have become acquainted with the main Russian folk instruments, and in conclusion I would like to introduce you to some of the most famous percussion instruments of other nations.
A very common Latin American instrument is maracas.
Maracas or maraca is the oldest percussion and noise instrument of the indigenous inhabitants of the Antilles - the Taino Indians, a type of rattle that produces a characteristic rustling sound when shaken. Nowadays maracas are popular throughout the territory Latin America and are one of the symbols of Latin American music. Typically, a maraca player uses a pair of rattles, one in each hand.
In Russian, the name of the instrument is often used in the not entirely correct form “maracas”. The more correct form of the name is "maraca".
Initially, the dried fruits of the gourd tree, known in Cuba as “guira” and in Puerto Rico as “iguero”, were used to make maracas. The gourd tree is a small evergreen plant that is widespread in the West Indies (Antilles), Mexico and Panama. Large higuero fruits, covered with a very hard green shell and reaching 35 cm in diameter, were used by the Indians to make both musical instruments and dishes.
To make maraca, small fruits with a regular round shape were used. After removing the pulp through two holes drilled in the body and drying the fruit, small pebbles or plant seeds were poured inside, the number of which varies in any pair of maracas, which provides each instrument with a unique individual sound. At the last stage, a handle was attached to the resulting spherical rattle, after which the instrument was ready
Now let's get acquainted with a very famous Spanish percussion instrument - castanets.
Castanets are a percussion musical instrument that consists of two concave shell plates, upper parts tied together with a cord. Castanets are most widespread in Spain, Southern Italy and Latin America.
Similar simple musical instruments, suitable for rhythmic accompaniment of dancing and singing, were used back in Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece.
The name castanets in Russian is borrowed from Spanish, where they are called castañuelas (“chestnuts”) due to their resemblance to chestnut fruits. In Andalusia they are more often called palillos ("sticks").
Plates were traditionally made from hardwood, although lately For this, metal or fiberglass is increasingly used. In a symphony orchestra, for the convenience of performers, castanets are most often used, mounted on a special stand (the so-called “castanet machine”).
Castanets, used by Spanish dancers, were traditionally made in two sizes. Large castanets were held with the left hand and beat out the main movement of the dance. Small castanets were held in the right hand and beat out various musical patterns that accompanied the performance of dances and songs. Accompanied by songs, castanets acted only as a roleplay - during a break in the voice part.
In world culture, castanets are most strongly associated with the image spanish music, especially with the music of Spanish gypsies. Therefore, this tool is often used in classical music to create a “Spanish flavor”; for example, in such works as J. Bizet’s opera “Carmen”, in Glinka’s Spanish overtures “ Aragonese jota" and "Night in Madrid", in "Capriccio Espagnol by Rimsky-Korsakov, in Spanish dancing from Tchaikovsky's ballets.
Although percussion instruments are not given the main role in music, percussion instruments often give music a unique flavor.
They were used in ancient times by the peoples of the Middle East and the African continent to accompany warlike and religious dances. Percussion instruments, the names of which are numerous, as are their types, are very common these days; not a single ensemble can do without them. These include those in which sound is produced by striking.
Classification
According to their musical qualities, that is, the possibility of extracting sounds of a particular pitch, all types of percussion instruments, the names of which are presented in this article, can be divided into 2 groups: with an indefinite pitch (cymbals, drums, etc.) and with a certain pitch ( xylophone, timpani). They are also divided depending on the type of vibrator (sounding body) into self-sounding (castanets, triangles, cymbals, etc.), plate (bells, vibraphones, xylophones, etc.) and membranous (tambourine, drums, timpani, etc.).
Now you know what types of percussion instruments there are. Let's say a few words about what determines the timbre and volume of their sound.
What determines the volume and timbre of sound?
The volume of their sound is determined by the amplitude of vibrations of the sounding body, that is, the force of the impact, as well as the size of the sounding body. Strengthening the sound in some instruments is achieved by adding resonators. The timbre that certain types of percussion instruments have depends on many factors. The main ones are the method of impact, the material from which the instrument is made, and the shape of the sounding body.
Webbed percussion instruments
The sounding body in them is a membrane or a stretched membrane. These include percussion instruments, the names of which are tambourine, drums, timpani, etc.
Timpani
Timpani is an instrument with a certain pitch, which has a metal body in the shape of a cauldron. A membrane made of tanned leather is stretched across the top of this cauldron. The membrane currently used is made from polymer materials special membrane. It is secured to the body using tension screws and a hoop. Screws located around the circumference loosen or tighten it. The timpani percussion instrument is tuned as follows: if you pull the membrane, the tuning becomes higher, and if you lower it, it will be lower. In order not to interfere with the membrane vibrating freely, there is a hole at the bottom for air movement. The body of this instrument is made of brass, copper or aluminum. Timpani are mounted on a tripod - a special stand.
This instrument is used in an orchestra in a set of 2, 3, 4 or more cauldrons of different sizes. The diameter of modern timpani ranges from 550 to 700 mm. There are the following types: pedal, mechanical and screw. Pedal instruments are the most common, since you can tune the instrument to the required key without interrupting the game by pressing the pedal. Timpani have a sound volume approximately equal to a fifth. A large timpani is tuned below all the others.
Tulumbas
Tulumbas is an ancient percussion instrument (a type of timpani). It served in the 17th-18th centuries in the army, where it was used to give alarm signals. The shape is a pot-shaped resonator. This ancient percussion instrument (a type of timpani) can be made of metal, clay or wood. The top is covered with leather. This structure is hit with wooden bats. A dull sound is produced, somewhat reminiscent of a cannon shot.
Drums
We continue to describe the percussion instruments whose names were listed at the beginning of the article. Drums have an indefinite pitch. These include various percussion instruments. The names listed below all refer to reels (various varieties). There are large and small orchestral drums, large and small pop drums, as well as bongos, tom bass and tom tenor.
A large orchestral drum has a cylindrical body, covered on both sides with plastic or leather. It is characterized by a dull, low, powerful sound produced by a wooden mallet with a tip in the form of a felt or felt ball. Today, polymer film has begun to be used for drum membranes instead of parchment skin. It has better musical and acoustic properties and higher strength. The drum membranes are secured with tension screws and two rims. The body of this instrument is made of sheet steel and lined with artistic celluloid. It has dimensions 680x365 mm. The large stage drum has a design and shape similar to the orchestra drum. Its dimensions are 580x350 mm.
The small orchestral drum is a low cylinder, covered on both sides with plastic or leather. The membranes (membranes) are attached to the body using tightening screws and two rims. To give the instrument a specific sound, special strings or snares (spirals) are stretched over the lower membrane. They are driven by a reset mechanism. The use of synthetic membranes in drums has significantly improved operational reliability, musical and acoustic characteristics, presentation and service life. The small orchestra drum has dimensions of 340x170 mm. It is included in symphony and military brass bands. The small pop drum has a structure similar to the orchestra drum. Its dimensions are 356x118 mm.
Tom-tom-bass and tom-tom-tenor drums are no different in design. They are used in pop drum kits. The tenor tom is attached to the bass drum using a bracket. The tom-tom-bass is installed on a special stand on the floor.
Bongs are small drums with plastic or leather stretched on one side. They are included in the percussion stage set. The bongs are connected to each other by adapters.
As you can see, many percussion instruments are related to drums. The names listed above can be supplemented by including some less popular varieties.
Tambourine
A tambourine is a shell (hoop) with plastic or leather stretched on one side. Special slots are made in the body of the hoop. They have brass plates attached to them; they look like small orchestra cymbals. Inside the hoop, sometimes small rings and bells are strung on a spiral or on stretched twine. All this tinkles at the slightest touch of the tambourine, creating a special sound. The membrane is struck with the palm of the right hand (its base) or fingertips.
Tambourines are used to accompany songs and dances. In the East, the art of playing this instrument has achieved virtuosity. Solo tambourine playing is also common here. Dyaf, def or gaval is an Azerbaijani tambourine, haval or daf is Armenian, dayra is Georgian, doira is Tajik and Uzbek.
Plate percussion instruments
Let's continue to describe percussion musical instruments. Photos and names of plate drums are presented below. Such instruments that have a certain pitch include the xylophone, marimba (marimbaphone), metallophone, bells, bells, and vibraphone.
Xylophone
Xylophone is a set wooden blocks of different sizes that correspond to sounds of different heights. The blocks are made from rosewood, spruce, walnut, and maple. They are placed parallel in 4 rows, following the order of the chromatic scale. These blocks are attached to strong laces and are also separated by springs. A cord passes through the holes made in the blocks. The xylophone for playing is laid out on a table on rubber spacers, which are located along the cords of this instrument. It is played with two wooden sticks with a thickening at the end. This instrument is used for playing in an orchestra or for solo playing.
Metallophone and marimba
Metallophone and marimba are also percussion instruments. Do their photos and names mean anything to you? We invite you to get to know them better.
A metallophone is a musical instrument similar to a xylophone, but its sound plates are made of metal (bronze or brass). His photo is presented below.
Marimba (marimbaphone) is an instrument whose sounding elements are wooden plates. It also has metal tubular resonators installed to enhance the sound.
Marimba has a rich, soft timbre. Its sound range is 4 octaves. The playing plates of this instrument are made of rosewood. This ensures good musical and acoustic characteristics of this instrument. The plates are located in 2 rows on the frame. In the first row there are plates of basic tones, and in the second - halftones. Resonators installed in 2 rows on the frame are tuned to the sound frequency of the corresponding plates. A photo of this instrument is presented below.
The main components of the marimba are secured to the support trolley. The frame of this cart is made of aluminum. This ensures sufficient strength and minimal weight. Marimba is used both for educational purposes and for professional playing.
Vibraphone
This instrument is a set of aluminum plates, chromatically tuned, which are arranged in 2 rows, similar to a piano keyboard. The plates are installed on a high table (bed) and secured with laces. In the center under each of them there are cylindrical resonators of a certain size. Through them pass in the upper part of the axis, on which fan fans (impellers) are fixed. This is how vibration is achieved. The damper device has this tool. It is connected under the stand to a pedal so that you can muffle the sound with your foot. The vibraphone is played using 2, 3, 4, and sometimes a large number of long sticks with rubber balls at the ends. This instrument is used in symphony orchestras, but more often in pop orchestras or as a solo instrument. His photo is presented below.
Bells
What percussion instruments can be used to reproduce bell ringing in an orchestra? The correct answer is bells. This is a set of percussion instruments used in symphony and opera orchestras for this purpose. The bells consist of a set (from 12 to 18 pieces) of cylindrical pipes that are tuned chromatically. Typically the pipes are chrome-plated steel or nickel-plated brass. Their diameter ranges from 25 to 38 mm. They are suspended on a special frame-rack, the height of which is about 2 m. Sound is produced by striking the pipes with a wooden hammer. The bells are equipped with a special device (pedal-damper) to dampen the sound.
Bells
This is a percussion instrument consisting of 23-25 metal plates tuned chromatically. They are placed in steps in 2 rows on a flat box. The black piano keys correspond to the top row, and the white keys correspond to the bottom row.
Self-sounding percussion instruments
When talking about what types of percussion instruments there are (names and types), it is impossible not to mention self-sounding percussion instruments. The following instruments belong to this type: cymbals, tam-tams, triangles, rattles, maracas, castanets, etc.
Plates
Plates are metal discs made of nickel silver or brass. A somewhat spherical shape is given to the discs of the plates. Leather straps attached to the center. A long ringing sound is produced when they hit each other. Sometimes they use one plate. Then the sound is produced by hitting a metal brush or stick. They produce orchestral, gong and Charleston cymbals. They sound ringing and sharp.
Let's talk about what other percussion instruments there are. Photos with names and descriptions will help you get to know them better.
Orchestral triangle
An orchestra triangle (its photo is presented below) is a steel rod of an open triangular shape. When played, this instrument is hung freely and then struck with a metal stick, performing various rhythmic patterns. A triangle has a ringing, bright sound. It is used in various ensembles and orchestras. Triangles are available with two sticks made of steel.
A gong or tam-tam is a bronze disk with curved edges. Using a mallet with a felt tip, strike its center. The result is a dark, thick and deep sound, reaching its full strength gradually, not immediately after the impact.
Castanets and maracas
Castanets (photos of them are presented below) are from Spain. This ancient percussion instrument is shaped like shells tied with a cord. One of them faces the spherical (concave) side towards the other. They are made from plastic or hardwood. Castanets are produced single or double.
Maracas are balls made of plastic or wood, filled with shot (small pieces of metal) and decorated colorfully on the outside. They are equipped with a handle to make them comfortable to hold while playing. Various rhythmic patterns can be produced by shaking the maracas. They are used mainly in pop ensembles, but sometimes also in orchestras.
Rattles are sets of small plates mounted on a wooden plate.
These are the main names of percussion musical instruments. Of course, there are many more of them. We talked about the most famous and popular ones.
The drum kit that the pop ensemble has
In order to have a complete understanding of this group of instruments, it is also necessary to know the composition of percussion kits (sets). The most common composition is the following: a large and small drum, a large and small single cymbal, a paired hi-hat cymbal (Charleston), bongos, tom-tom alto, tom-tom tenor and tom-tom bass.
A large drum is installed on the floor in front of the performer, with support legs for stability. Tom-tom alto and tom-tom tenor drums can be mounted on the top of the drum using brackets. It also has an additional stand on which the orchestra cymbal is mounted. The brackets that attach the tom-tom alto and tom-tom tenor to the bass drum regulate their height.
A mechanical pedal is an integral part of a bass drum. The performer uses it to extract sound from this musical instrument. A small pop drum must be included in the drum kit. It is secured with three clamps on a special stand: one retractable and two folding. The stand is installed on the floor. This is a stand that is equipped with a locking device for fixing in a certain position, as well as changing the inclination of the snare drum.
The snare drum has a muffler and reset device, which are used to adjust the tone. Also, a drum set sometimes includes several tom-tom tenors, tom-tom altos and tom-tom drums, all of different sizes.
Also (its photo is presented below) it includes orchestral cymbals with a stand, a chair and a mechanical stand for the Charleston. Maracas, triangles, castanets and other noise instruments are the accompanying instruments of this installation.
Spare parts and accessories
Spare accessories and parts for percussion instruments include: stands for orchestral cymbals, for snare drums, for Charleston cymbals, timpani sticks, a mechanical beater for a drum (large), sticks for a snare drum, pop drumsticks, orchestral brushes, mallets and bass drum leather, straps, cases.
Percussion instruments
It is necessary to distinguish between percussion keyboards and percussion instruments. Percussion keyboards include the piano and grand piano. The strings of a piano are arranged horizontally and are struck by a hammer from bottom to top. The piano is different in that the hammer strikes the strings in a direction away from the player. The strings are tensioned in a vertical plane. Grand piano and piano, due to the richness of sounds in terms of sound strength and height, as well as the great capabilities of these instruments, received a common name. Both instruments can be called in one word - “piano”. The piano is a stringed percussion instrument based on the way it produces sound.
The keyboard mechanism used in it is a system of levers interconnected, which serves to transfer the energy of the pianist's fingers to the strings. It consists of mechanics and is a set of keys, the number of which may vary depending on the sound range of a particular instrument. The keys are usually lined with plastic covers. They are then mounted using pins on the keyboard frame. Each key has a pilot, capsule and overlay. It transmits the force of the pianist to the mechanical figure as a lever of the first kind. Mechanics are hammer mechanisms that convert the musician's force when pressing a key into a strike on the strings of the hammers. Hammers are made of hornbeam or maple, and their heads are covered with felt.
Basic information Agogo is a Brazilian folk percussion musical instrument, which consists of two different-toned sheep bells without tongues, connected by a metal curved handle. There are different variations of agogo. For example, with three bells; or agogos, made entirely of wood (also with two or three bells). The rhythmic pattern performed by agogo players is the basis of the polyrhythmic structure of the Brazilian carnival samba.
Basic information Asatayak is an ancient Kazakh and ancient Turkic percussion musical instrument. The shape resembles a staff or cane with a flat head, decorated with ornaments and metal rings and pendants. Asatayak had an open and sharp sound. To enhance the sound of the instrument, the bucks used konyrau - bells, which were attached to the head of the asatayak. When shaking the instrument, the konyrau complemented the sound with a metallic ringing. And asatayak,
Basic information Ashiko is a West African percussion musical instrument, a drum in the shape of a truncated cone. They play the ashiko with their hands. Origin The homeland of Ashiko is considered to be West Africa, presumably Nigeria, the Yoruba people. The name is most often translated as “freedom”. Ashikos were used for healing, during initiation rituals, military rituals, communication with ancestors, for transmitting signals over distances, etc. Drums
Basic information Bania (bahia) is a Bengali percussion musical instrument, common in Northern India. It is a small one-sided drum with a leather membrane and a bowl-shaped ceramic body. The sound is produced by striking the fingers and hand. Used together with tabla. Video: Bania on video + sound A video with this instrument will appear in the encyclopedia very soon! Sale: where to buy/order?
Basic information Bangu (danpigu) is a Chinese percussion musical instrument, a small one-sided drum. From the Chinese ban - wooden plank, gu - drum. There is a female version of bangu and a male version of bangu. It has a bowl-shaped wooden body with massive walls, with the convex side facing up. There is a small hole in the middle of the body. The leather membrane is stretched over the convex part of the body
Basic information Bar chimes is a self-sounding percussion musical instrument related to traditional Asian wind chimes. The instrument was introduced into use by percussionists by American drummer Mark Stevens, in whose honor it received the original name Mark Tree, which is widespread in the West. In Russia, the name Bar Chimes is more common. Metal tubes of different lengths that make up the instrument sound when they touch each other
Basic information, device The drum is a percussion musical instrument, a membranophone. Distributed among most peoples. It consists of a hollow cylindrical wooden (or metal) resonator body or frame, onto which leather membranes are stretched on one or both sides (plastic membranes are now used). The relative pitch of the sound can be adjusted by the tension of the membranes. The sound is produced by striking the membrane with a wooden mallet with a soft tip, a stick,
Basics The boiran is an Irish percussion instrument that resembles a tambourine with a diameter of approximately half a meter (usually 18 inches). The Irish word bodhran (in Irish it is pronounced boron or boiron, in English - bouran, in Russian it is customary to pronounce boiran or boran) is translated as “thundering”, “deafening” (and also “annoying”, but this is only in some cases ). Hold the boyran vertically, playing it in a specific way with a wooden
Basic information The big drum (bass drum), also sometimes called the Turkish drum or “bass drum”, is a percussion musical instrument with an indefinite pitch of sound, low register. It is a drum - a wide metal or wooden cylinder, covered with leather on both sides (sometimes only on one side). The sound is produced by striking a beater with a massive head wrapped in dense material. If it is necessary to perform complex
Basics Bonang is an Indonesian percussion musical instrument. It is a set of bronze gongs, secured with cords horizontal position on a wooden stand. Each gong has a bulge (penchu) in the center. The sound is produced by hitting this convexity wooden stick, wrapped at the end with cotton cloth or rope. Sometimes spherical resonators made of burnt clay are suspended under the gongs. Sound
Basic information Bongo (Spanish: bongo) is a Cuban percussion musical instrument. It is a small double drum of African origin, usually played while sitting, holding the bongo between the calves of the legs. In Cuba, the bongo first appeared in the province of Oriente around 1900. The drums that make up the bongos vary in size; the smaller of them is considered “male” (macho - Spanish macho, literally
Basic information A tambourine is a percussion musical instrument consisting of a leather membrane stretched over a wooden rim. Some types of tambourines have metal bells attached to them, which begin to ring when the performer strikes the membrane of the tambourine, rubs it, or shakes the entire instrument. The tambourine is common among many peoples: the Uzbek doira; Armenian, Azerbaijani, Tajik def; shamanic drums with a long handle among peoples
Basic information A tambourine (tambourine) is a percussion musical instrument, a small metal rattle (bell); is a hollow ball with a small solid ball (several balls) inside. Can be attached to horse harness (“Troika with bells”), clothing, shoes, headdresses (jester’s cap), tambourine. Video: Bell on video + sound A video with this instrument will appear in the encyclopedia very soon! Sale: where
Basic information Bugai (Berbenitsa) is an accompanying frictional percussion musical instrument with a sound reminiscent of the roar of a Bugai. The bugai is a wooden cylinder, the top hole of which is covered with skin. A tuft of horsehair is attached to the skin in the center. Used as a bass instrument. The musician, with hands moistened with kvass, pulls his hair. Depending on the place of contact, the pitch of the sound changes. Bugay is widespread
Basic information Vibraphone (English and French vibraphone, Italian vibrafono, German vibraphon) is a percussion musical instrument that belongs to metal idiophones with a certain pitch. Invented in the USA in the late 1910s. The instrument has wide virtuoso capabilities and is used in jazz, on the stage and in percussion ensembles, less often in a symphony orchestra and as a solo instrument.
Basic information Gaval (daf) is an Azerbaijani folk percussion musical instrument. Very similar to tambourine and tambourine. One of those rare musical instruments that has retained its original form to this day. The Gaval device is a wooden rim with sturgeon skin stretched over it. In modern conditions, the ghaval membrane is also made of plastic to prevent moisture. TO
Basic information, structure, structure Gambang is an Indonesian percussion musical instrument. It consists of wooden (gambang kayu) or metal (gambang gangza) plates mounted horizontally on a wooden stand, often lavishly decorated with paintings and carvings. The sound is produced by striking two wooden sticks with a flat washer-like winding at the ends. They are held loosely between the large and index fingers, other fingers
Basic information Gender (gendir) is an Indonesian percussion musical instrument. In gamelan, gender carries out a variational development of the main theme set by the gambang. The Gender device consists of 10-12 slightly convex metal plates, fixed in a horizontal position on a wooden stand using cords. Bamboo resonator tubes are suspended from the plates. Gender plates are selected according to the 5-step Slendro scale
Basic information The gong is an ancient percussion musical instrument of a symphony orchestra, which is a relatively large concave metal disk freely suspended on a support. Sometimes the gong is mistakenly confused with tam-tam. Varieties of gongs There are a huge number of varieties of gongs. They differ in size, shape, sound character and origin. The most famous in modern orchestral music are Chinese and Javanese gongs. Chinese
Basic information The guiro is a Latin American percussion instrument, originally made from the fruit of the gourd tree, known in Cuba and Puerto Rico as "higuero", with serifs applied to the surface. The word "guiro" comes from the language of the Taino Indians who inhabited the Antilles before the Spanish invasion. Traditionally, merengue often uses metal guiro, which has a sharper sound, and salsa
Basic information Gusachok (gander) is an unusual ancient Russian folk noise percussion musical instrument. The origin of the gander is very vague and ambiguous. Perhaps it was also played by buffoons, but in modern copies the clay jug (or “glechik”) is replaced by a papier-mâché model of the same shape. The gander has close relatives in different countries of the world. Let's face it, all relatives are very
Basic information Dangyra is an ancient Kazakh and ancient Turkic percussion musical instrument. It was a tambourine: a headband covered on one side with leather, inside of which metal chains, rings and plates were hung. Both dangyra and asatayak were attributes of shamanic rituals, which is why they were not widely used in the musical life of the people. Already since the beginning of the 19th century, both
Basic information Darbuka (tarbuka, darabuka, dumbek) is an ancient percussion musical instrument of indefinite pitch, a small drum, widespread in the Middle East, Egypt, the Maghreb countries, Transcaucasia and the Balkans. Traditionally made from clay and goatskin, metal darbukas are now also common. It has two holes, one of which (wide) is covered with a membrane. According to the type of sound production, it belongs to
Basic information A wooden box or wood block is a percussion musical instrument. One of the most common percussion musical instruments with an indefinite pitch. The sound of the instrument is a characteristic clicking sound. It is a rectangular block of ringing, well-dried wood. On one side, closer to the top of the block, a deep slot about 1 cm wide is hollowed out. The instrument is played with wooden or
Basic information The djembe is a West African percussion musical instrument in the shape of a goblet with an open narrow bottom and a wide top, over which a membrane made of leather, most often goatskin, is stretched. Previously unknown to the West, since its “discovery” it has gained enormous popularity. In terms of shape, djembe belongs to the so-called goblet drums, and in terms of sound production - to membranophones. Origin, history of Djembe
Basic information Dholak is a percussion musical instrument, a barrel-shaped wooden drum with two membranes of different diameters. They play the dholak with their hands or a special stick; You can play sitting cross-legged, placing it on your knees, or standing, using a belt. The tension force of the membranes is regulated by a system of rings and rope constrictions. Dholak is common in Northern India, Pakistan and Nepal; very popular
Basic information A carillon is a percussion musical instrument that, through a clock mechanism, forces a series of bells to play a melody, just as a rotating shaft sets an organ in motion. Often used in churches, especially in the Netherlands, it was known in China already in ancient times. The carillon is played “by hand” using a special keyboard. There are 600-700 carillons in the world. Famous musicians
Basic information Castanets are a percussion musical instrument, which consists of two concave shell plates, connected in the upper parts with a cord. The plates have traditionally been made from hardwood, although fiberglass is increasingly being used in recent years. Castanets are most widespread in Spain, Southern Italy and Latin America. Similar simple musical instruments suitable for rhythmic accompaniment of dance
Basic information The cymbal is an ancient oriental percussion musical instrument, consisting of a metal plate (bowl), in the middle of which a belt or rope was attached for putting on right hand. The cymbal was struck against another cymbal placed on left hand, which is why the name of this instrument is used in the plural: cymbals. When the cymbals hit each other, they make a sharp ringing sound. Among the Jews
Basic information The clave (Spanish clave, literally “key”) is the simplest Cuban folk percussion musical instrument. Idiophone of African origin. It consists of two sticks made of hard wood, with the help of which the main rhythm of the ensemble is set. A musician playing the clave (usually a singer) holds one of the sticks in his hand so that the palm forms a kind of resonator, and the other
Basic information A bell is a metal percussion musical instrument (usually cast from so-called bell bronze), a sound source that has a dome-shaped shape and, usually, a tongue striking the walls from the inside. Bells without a tongue are also known, which are struck with a hammer or a log from the outside. Bells are used for religious purposes (calling believers to prayer, expressing solemn moments of the Divine service) and in
Basic information Orchestral bells are a percussion musical instrument of a symphony orchestra (idiophone). It is a set of 12-18 cylindrical metal tubes with a diameter of 25-38 mm, suspended in a stand frame (height about 2 m). They hit them with a mallet, the head of which is covered with leather. The scale is chromatic. Range 1-1.5 octaves (usually from F; notated an octave higher than it sounds). Modern bells are equipped with a damper. In the orchestra
Basic information Bells (Italian campanelli, French jeu de timbres, German Glockenspiel) are a percussion musical instrument with a certain pitch. The instrument has a light ringing timbre in the piano, brilliant and bright in the forte. Bells come in two varieties: simple and keyboard. Simple bells are a set of chromatically tuned metal plates placed in two rows on a wooden
Basic information Congo is a Latin American percussion musical instrument of indefinite pitch from the genus of membranophones. It is a barrel elongated in height, with a leather membrane stretched from one end. Used in pairs - two drums of different diameters (one is tuned lower, the other higher), often the conga is played simultaneously with the bongo (assembled on the same percussion set). Congo height 70-80
Basic information Xylophone (from the Greek xylo - wood + background - sound) is a percussion musical instrument with a certain pitch. It is a series of wooden blocks of different sizes, tuned to certain notes. The bars are struck with sticks with spherical tips or special hammers that look like small spoons (in the jargon of musicians, these hammers are called “goat legs”). Xylophone tone
Basic information Cuica is a Brazilian percussion musical instrument from the group of friction drums, most often used in samba. It has a creaky, sharp timbre of a high register. Kuika is a cylindrical metal (originally wooden) body, with a diameter of 6-10 centimeters. The skin is stretched over one side of the body, the other side remains open. On the inside, to the center and perpendicular to the leather membrane, it is attached
Basic information Timpani (Italian timpani, French timbales, German Pauken, English kettle drums) are a percussion musical instrument with a certain pitch. They are a system of two or more (up to five) metal boilers, the open side of which is covered with leather or plastic. There is a resonator hole in the bottom of each boiler. Origin The timpani is an instrument of very ancient origin. In Europe, timpani, close
Basic information Spoons are the oldest Slavic percussion musical instrument. In appearance, musical spoons are not much different from ordinary wooden table spoons, only they are made from harder wood. In addition, musical spoons have elongated handles and a polished impact surface. Sometimes bells are hung along the handle. The play set of spoons may include 2, 3 or
Basic information, device A snare drum (also sometimes called a military drum or “working drum”) is a percussion musical instrument that belongs to the membranophones with an indefinite pitch. One of the main percussion instruments of a symphony orchestra, as well as jazz and other genres, where it is part of a drum kit (often in several copies different sizes). The snare drum is metal, plastic or
Basic information Maraca (maracas) is the oldest percussion-noise musical instrument of the indigenous inhabitants of the Antilles - the Taino Indians, a type of rattle that produces a characteristic rustling sound when shaken. Currently, maracas are popular throughout Latin America and are one of the symbols of Latin American music. Typically, a maraca player uses a pair of rattles, one in each
Basic information Marimba is a keyboard percussion musical instrument consisting of wooden blocks mounted on a frame, which are struck with mallets, a relative of the xylophone. The marimba differs from the xylophone in that the sound produced by each bar is amplified by a wooden or metal resonator or a pumpkin suspended underneath it. Marimba has a rich, soft and deep timbre that allows you to achieve expressive sound. The marimba arose in
Basic information Musical pendant (breeze) is a percussion musical instrument. It is a bunch of small objects that produce a pleasant chime when the wind blows, widely used in landscape design, especially when decorating porches, verandas, terraces, awnings, etc., adjacent to the house. It is also used as a musical instrument. Musical pendants are most widely used in the southern regions as an anti-stress remedy and
Basic information Pkhachich is an Adyghe and Kabardian folk percussion musical instrument, a relative of the rattle. It consists of 3, 5 or 7 plates of dried hardwood (boxwood, ash, chestnut, hornbeam, plane tree), loosely tied at one end to the same plate with a handle. Typical tool dimensions: length 150-165 mm, width 45-50 mm. Pkhachich is held by the handle, pulling a loop,
Basic information The cencerro (campana) is a Latin American percussion musical instrument of indefinite pitch from the ideophone family: a metal bell without a tongue, played with a wooden stick. Its other name is campana. Modern cencerros have the shape of a bell somewhat flattened on both sides. The appearance of the sencerro in Latin American music is associated with the ritual bells of the econ of Congolese religious cults. It is believed that in
Basic information Tabla is an Indian percussion musical instrument. The big drum is called baina, the small one is called daina. One of the most famous musicians who glorified this instrument throughout the world was the legendary tabla player Ravi Shankar. Origin The exact origin of the tabla is unclear. But according to existing tradition, the creation of this instrument (like many others, whose origin is unknown) is attributed to Amir
Basic information Tala (or talan; Sanskrit Tala - clapping, rhythm, beat, dance) is a South Indian paired percussion musical instrument from the category of percussion, a type of metal cymbal or cymbal. Behind each of them there is a silk or wooden handle. The sound of the tala is quite soft and pleasant. Video: Tala on video + sound Video with this instrument coming very soon