Percussion is the largest family today musical instruments. 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 peoples 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 melodious, 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; different kinds drums, tambourines, African tam-tam drum, as well as triangle, cymbals, and many others.
They were used in ancient times by the peoples of the Middle East and the African continent to accompany warlike and religious dances and 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 adjust 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 strings. All this tinkles at the slightest touch of the tambourine, creating a special sound. The membrane is struck with the palm of the hand 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
A xylophone is a set of wooden blocks of different sizes that correspond to sounds of different pitches. 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 by two wooden chopsticks having 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 fixed 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.
Dishes
Plates are metal discs made of nickel silver or brass. A somewhat spherical shape is given to the discs of the plates. Leather straps are 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, which has 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 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.
Percussion musical instruments appeared before all other musical instruments. In ancient times, percussion instruments were used by the peoples of the African continent and the Middle East to accompany religious and warlike dances.
Nowadays, percussion instruments are very common, since not a single ensemble can do without them.
Percussion instruments include instruments in which sound is produced by striking. According to musical qualities, i.e. the ability to produce sounds of a certain pitch, all percussion instruments are divided into two types: with a certain pitch (timpani, xylophone) and with an indefinite pitch (drums, cymbals, etc.).
Depending on the type of sounding body (vibrator), percussion instruments are divided into webbed (timpani, drums, tambourine, etc.), plate (xylophones, vibraphones, bells, etc.), self-sounding (cymbals, triangles, castanets, etc.).
The sound volume of a percussion instrument is determined by the size of the sounding body and the amplitude of its vibrations, i.e., the force of the blow. In some instruments, sound enhancement is achieved by adding resonators. The timbre of the sound of percussion instruments depends on many factors, the main of which are the shape of the sounding body, the material from which the instrument is made, and the method of impact.
Webbed percussion instruments
In webbed percussion instruments, the sounding body is a stretched membrane or membrane. These include timpani, drums, tambourine, etc.
Timpani- an instrument with a certain pitch, having a metal body in the form of a cauldron, in the upper part of which a membrane made of well-dressed leather is stretched. Currently, a special membrane made of high-strength polymer materials is used as a membrane.
The membrane is attached to the body using a hoop and tension screws. These screws, located around the circumference, tighten or release the membrane. This is how the timpani is tuned: if the membrane is pulled, the tuning will be higher, and, conversely, if the membrane is released, the tuning will be lower. In order not to interfere with the free vibration of the membrane in the center of the boiler, there is a hole at the bottom for air movement.
The body of the timpani is made of copper, brass or aluminum, and they are mounted on a stand - a tripod.
In an orchestra, timpani are used in a set of two, three, four or more cauldrons of various sizes. The diameter of modern timpani is from 550 to 700 mm.
There are screw, mechanical and pedal timpani. The most common are pedal ones, since with one press of the pedal you can, without interrupting the game, tune the instrument to the desired key.
The sound volume of a timpani is approximately a fifth. The large timpani is tuned lower than all the others. The sound range of the instrument is from F of the large octave to F of the small octave. The middle timpani has a sound range from B large octave to F small octave. Small timpani - from D small octave to A small octave.
Drums- instruments with an indefinite pitch. There are small and large orchestral drums, small and large pop drums, tom tenor, tom bass, and bongos.
The large orchestral drum is a cylindrical body, covered on both sides with leather or plastic. The bass drum has a powerful, low and dull sound, which is produced with a wooden mallet with a ball-shaped tip made of felt or felt. Currently, instead of expensive parchment skin, polymer film has been used for drum membranes, which has higher strength indicators and better musical and acoustic properties.
The membranes of the drums are secured with two rims and tension screws located around the circumference of the instrument body. The drum body is made of sheet steel or plywood, lined with artistic celluloid. Dimensions 680x365 mm.
The large stage drum has a shape and design similar to the orchestral drum. Its dimensions are 580x350 mm.
The small orchestral drum has the appearance of a low cylinder, covered on both sides with leather or plastic. The membranes (membranes) are attached to the body using two rims and tightening screws.
To give the drum a specific sound, special strings or spirals (a snare) are stretched over the lower membrane, which are activated using a reset mechanism.
The use of synthetic membranes in drums has significantly improved their musical and acoustic capabilities, operational reliability, service life and presentation. The dimensions of the small orchestra drum are 340x170 mm.
Small orchestral drums are included in military brass bands and are also used in symphony orchestras.
The small pop drum has the same structure as the orchestra drum. Its dimensions are 356x118 mm.
The tom-tom-tenor drum and the tom-tom-bass drum do not differ in design and are used in pop drum sets. The tom-tenor drum is attached with a bracket to the bass drum, the tom-tom-bass drum is installed on the floor on a special stand.
Bongs are small drums with leather or plastic stretched on one side. They are part of the pop drum set. The bongs are connected to each other by adapters.
Tambourine- is a hoop (shell) with leather or plastic stretched on one side. Special slots are made in the body of the hoop, in which brass plates are fixed, looking like small orchestral plates. Sometimes, inside the hoop, small bells and rings are strung on stretched strings or spirals. All this tinkles at the slightest touch of the instrument, creating a unique sound. The membrane is struck with the ends of the fingers or the base of the palm of the right hand.
Tambourines are used for rhythmic accompaniment of dances and songs. In the East, where the art of playing the tambourine has reached virtuoso mastery, solo playing on this instrument is common. The Azerbaijani tambourine is called def, dyaf or gaval, the Armenian - daf or haval, the Georgian - dayra, the Uzbek and Tajik - doira.
Plate percussion instruments
Plate percussion instruments with a certain pitch include the xylophone, metallophone, marim-baphone (marimba), vibraphone, bells, and bells.
Xylophone— is a set of wooden blocks of different sizes, corresponding to sounds of different heights. The blocks are made from rosewood, maple, walnut, and spruce. They are arranged parallel in four rows in order of the chromatic scale. The blocks are attached to strong laces and separated by springs. The cord passes through the holes in the blocks. To play, the xylophone is laid out on a small table on rubber pads located along the cords of the instrument.
The xylophone is played with two wooden sticks with a thick end. The xylophone is used both for solo playing and in orchestra.
The range of the xylophone is from the small octave to the fourth octave.
Metallophones are similar to xylophones, only the sound plates are made of metal (brass or bronze).
Marimbaphones (marimba) are a percussion musical instrument, the sounding elements of which are wooden plates, and tubular metal resonators are installed on it to enhance the sound.
Marimba has a soft, rich timbre, has a sound range of four octaves: from a note to a small octave to a note to a fourth octave.
The playing plates are made of rosewood wood, which ensures high musical and acoustic properties of the instrument. The plates are located on the frame in two rows. The first row contains plates of fundamental tones, the second row contains plates of halftones. Resonators (metal tubes with plugs) installed on the frame in two rows are tuned to the sound frequency of the corresponding plates.
The main components of the marimba are mounted on a support trolley with wheels, the frame of which is made of aluminum, which ensures minimal weight and sufficient strength.
Marimba can be used by both professional musicians and for educational purposes.
Vibraphone is a set of chromatically tuned aluminum plates arranged in two rows, similar to a piano keyboard. The plates are installed on a high frame (table) and fastened with laces. Under each plate in the center there are cylindrical resonators of the appropriate size. Through all the resonators in the upper part there are axes on which the fan impellers - fans - are mounted. A portable silent electric motor is mounted on the side of the frame, which evenly rotates the impellers throughout the entire playing of the instrument. In this way vibration is achieved. The instrument has a damping device connected to a pedal under the stand to dampen the sound with your foot. The vibraphone is played with two, three, sometimes four or even longer sticks with rubber balls at the ends.
The range of the vibraphone is from F of the small octave to F of the third octave or from C to the first octave to A of the third octave.
The vibraphone is used in a symphony orchestra, but more often in a pop orchestra or as a solo instrument.
Bells- a set of percussion instruments that are used in opera and symphony orchestras to imitate the ringing of bells. The bell consists of a set of 12 to 18 cylindrical pipes, tuned chromatically. Pipes are usually nickel-plated brass or chrome-plated steel with a diameter of 25-38 mm. They are suspended in a frame-rack about 2 m high. The sound is produced by hitting the pipes with a wooden hammer. The bells are equipped with a pedal-damper device to dampen the sound. The range of bells is 1-11/2 octaves, usually from F to the major octave.
Bells- a percussion musical instrument that consists of 23-25 chromatically tuned metal plates placed in a flat box in two rows in steps. The top row corresponds to black and the bottom row corresponds to white piano keys.
The sound range of the bells is equal to two octaves: from the note up to the first octave to the note up to the third octave and depends on the number of records.
Self-sounding percussion instruments
Self-sounding percussion instruments include: cymbals, triangles, tom-toms, castanets, maracas, rattles, etc.
Dishes are metal discs made of brass or nickel silver. The disks of the cymbals are given a somewhat spherical shape, and leather straps are attached to the center.
When the cymbals hit each other, a long ringing sound is produced. Sometimes one cymbal is used and the sound is produced by striking a stick or metal brush. They produce orchestral cymbals, Charleston cymbals, and gong cymbals. The cymbals sound sharply and ringingly.
Triangle The orchestral one is a steel rod, which is given an open triangular shape. When playing, the triangle is hung freely and struck with a metal stick, performing various rhythmic patterns.
The sound of the triangle is bright and ringing. The triangle is used in various orchestras and ensembles. Orchestral triangles with two steel sticks are produced.
There-there or gong- a bronze disk with curved edges, the center of which is struck with a mallet with a felt tip; the sound of the gong is deep, thick and dark, reaching full strength not immediately after the strike, but gradually.
Castanets- in Spain they are a folk instrument. Castanets have the shape of shells, facing each other with a concave (spherical) side and connected with a cord. They are made from hardwood and plastic. Double and single castanets are produced.
Maracas- balls made of wood or plastic, filled with a small number of small pieces of metal (shot), the outside of the maracas is colorfully decorated. For ease of holding while playing, they are equipped with a handle.
Shaking the maracas produces various rhythmic patterns.
Maracas are used in orchestras, but more often in pop ensembles.
Rattles They are sets of small plates mounted on a wooden plate.
Variety drum kit ensemble
To fully study a group of percussion musical instruments, a specialist involved in their implementation needs to know the composition of drum sets (sets). The most common composition of drum sets is as follows: bass drum, snare drum, double Charleston cymbal (hey-hat), single large cymbal, single small cymbal, bongos, tom-tom bass, tom-tom tenor, tom-tom alto.
A large drum is installed on the floor directly in front of the performer; it has persistent legs for stability. Tom-tom tenor and tom-tom alto drums can be mounted on top of the drum using brackets; in addition, a stand for an orchestral cymbal is provided on the bass drum. The brackets that secure the tom-tom tenor and tom-tom alto on the bass drum regulate their height.
An integral part of the bass drum is a mechanical pedal, with the help of which the performer extracts sound from the drum.
The drum set must include a small pop drum, which is mounted on a special stand with three clamps: two folding and one retractable. The stand is installed on the floor; it is a stand equipped with a locking device for fixing in a given position and adjusting the tilt of the snare drum.
The snare drum has a release device as well as a muffler, which are used to adjust the timbre of the sound.
A drum set can simultaneously include several different sized tom-tom drums, tom-tom altos and tom-tom tenors. Tom-tom bass is installed with right side from the performer and has legs with which you can adjust the height of the instrument.
The bong drums included in the drum kit are placed on a separate stand.
The drum set also includes orchestral cymbals with a stand, a mechanical Charleston cymbal stand, and a chair.
Accompanying instruments of the drum set are maracas, castanets, triangles, as well as other noise instruments.
Spare parts and accessories for percussion instruments
Spare parts and accessories for percussion instruments include: snare drum stands, orchestra cymbal stands, mechanical pedal stand for orchestral Charleston cymbals, mechanical beater for bass drum, timpani sticks, snare drum sticks, pop drum sticks, orchestra brushes, bass drum beaters, bass drum leather, straps, cases.
In percussion musical instruments, sound is produced by striking some device or individual parts instrument against each other.
Percussion instruments are divided into membrane, plate, and self-sounding.
Membranous instruments include instruments in which the source of sound is a stretched membrane (timpani, drums), the sound is produced by striking the membrane with some device (for example, a mallet). In plate instruments (xylophones, etc.), wooden or metal plates or bars are used as the sounding body.
In self-sounding instruments (cymbals, castanets, etc.), the source of sound is the instrument itself or its body.
Percussion musical instruments are instruments whose sounding bodies are excited by striking or shaking.
According to the source of sound, percussion instruments are divided into:
Plate - in them the source of sound is wooden and metal plates, bars or tubes, which the musician strikes with sticks (xylophone, metallophone, bells);
Membranous - they contain the sound of a stretched membrane - a membrane (timpani, drum, tambourine, etc.). Timpani are a set of several metal cauldrons of different sizes, covered with a leather membrane on top. The tension of the membrane can be changed with a special device, and the pitch of the sounds produced by the mallet changes;
Self-sounding - in these instruments, the source of sound is the body itself (cymbals, triangles, castanets, maracas).
Classification of musical instruments.
Due to the fact that musical instruments have very different origins and nature, they are classified in accordance with the principles of sound formation according to the classification adopted in 1914 by Kurt Sachs and Erich Moritz von Horibostel (Systematik der Musikinstrumente: ein Versuch Zeitschrift f űr Ethnologie) which has become classic.
Percussion instruments.
Following the system proposed by the above-mentioned musicologists, the so-called idiophones and membranophones are distinguished among percussion instruments. Idiophones (from the Greek Idios - one's own, one's own and "background" - sound) are a family of instruments that reproduce sound due to vibration and radiation after striking, as in the case of bells, cymbals or cymbals, bells, castanets, rattles or the like.This is music. instruments, the source of sound of which is a material capable of sounding without additional tension (as required by the strings of a violin, guitar or piano, the membrane of a tambourine, drum or timpani). Idiophones usually consist entirely of sounding material - metal, wood, glass, stone; sometimes only a game part is made from it. According to the method of sound extraction, idiophones are divided into plucked ones - jew's harps, sans; frictional - nail harmonica and glass harmonica; percussion - xylophone, metallophone, gong, cymbals, bells, triangle, castanets, rattles, etc.
Castanets
Bells
Ratchets
Xylophone
Triangle
Percussion instruments also include membranophones, which require a membrane stretched over a reservoir that acts like a resonance box to reproduce sound. The membrane is struck with hammers or wooden sticks, as in the case of a drum or timpani, or rubbed with a stick across the drum skin. This happens with the sambomba (a type of drum), which is a “descendant” of the rommelpot of Flanders, used there during carnival celebrations already in the 14th century. V. Rommelpot is a musical instrument, something like a primitive bagpipe: a pot covered with a bull's bladder with a reed stuck into it. Rommelpot is a simple friction drum, previously popular in many European countries. It was usually made by tying the animal's bladder to a house pot; Children most often played on it, piercing the bubble with a stick, on Martin's Day and Christmas.
European friction drums. Drums made from clay pots are from Bohemia (1) and Naples (2). The sound is extracted from the Russian friction drum (3) using horsehair. The Norwegian thimble drum (4), the English mustard jar drum (5) and the French cockerel drum (6) were made as toys.
Two ways to produce sound on friction drums: pulling the stick up and down (a) or rotating it between the palms (b).
Percussion instruments, especially idiophones, are the most ancient and constitute the heritage of all cultures. Due to the simplicity of the principle of sound production, they were the very first musical instruments: blows with sticks, bone scrapers, stones, etc., always associated with certain rhythmic alternations, formed the first instrumental composition. Thus, in Egypt they used a kind of boards on which they played with one hand during the cult of the ancient Egyptian goddess of music Hathor. In Greece, the crotalon, or rattle, was common, the predecessor of castanets, which spread throughout the Mediterranean and the Latin world, calledcrotalum or crusma, associated with dancing and Bacchic celebrations. But the Egyptian sistrum, which is a metal frame in the shape of a horseshoe, partitioned with a number of slippery knitting needles with curves at the edges, was intended for funeral rites and to accompany prayers against disasters and the scourge of locusts, which destroyed the harvest.
Various types of rattles were also widely used. They are now very common, especially in Africa and Latin America, to accompany various folk dances. Many idiophones, especially metal ones - such as bells, cymbals, cymbals and small bells - have found their place sinceXVII century thanks to the fashion for music “a la Turk”. They were introduced into the orchestra by French maestros, including Jean Baptiste Lully (1632 - 1687) and Jean Fery Rebel (1666 - 1747). Some ideophones of relatively recent invention, such as trumpet-shaped bells, have been introduced into modern orchestras.
Membrane drums spread from the ancient Mesopotamian civilization to the West and East five thousand years ago. Since ancient times they have been used in military music and for signaling.
The Greeks used a tambourine-like drum called a tympanum.
A tympanum is a percussion musical instrument that resembles a small flat drum with a wide rim. The skin on the tympanum, like on the drum, was stretched on both sides (the tambourine, which was common at that time, had the skin stretched on one side). Women usually played the tympanum during bacchanalia, striking it with their right hand.
While in Rome the most popular was the membranophone, similar to the modern timpani, called the symphonie. Particularly magnificent were the festivities in honor of the goddess Cybele, the mistress of mountains, forests and animals, who regulates inexhaustible fertility. The cult of Cybele in Rome was introduced in 204 BC. e.
The festivities were accompanied by music, in which the main role was played by drums. During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, percussion (especially the drum) was used to accompany knightly tournaments and dances.
The importance of drums in folk music is also great.
Gradually, drums began to be part of professional orchestras starting from the 17th century. One of the first composers to include drums in his Berenice vendicativa (1680) was Giovanni Domenico Fresco (c. 1630 - 1710). Later composers such as Christoph Willibald Gluck (in Le cadidupl, 1761) and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (in The Abduction from the Seraglio, 1782) gave drums last role. This tradition was continued composers XIX and 20th century, such as Gustav Mahler and Igor Fedorovich Stravinsky. John Cage (1912 - 1992) and Morton Feldman (1926 - 1987) even wrote entire scores solely for drums.
M. Ravel - M. Bejart.1977 Grand Theatre. Maya Plisetskaya.
In Ravel's Bolero, the solo snare drum sounds incessantly, clearly beating the rhythm. There is also something militant in this. Drums are always an alarm, a kind of threat. Drums are the heralds of war. Our outstanding poet Nikolai Zabolotsky in 1957, almost thirty years after the creation of “Bolero,” wrote in a poem dedicated to Ravel’s masterpiece: “Turn, History, the cast millstones, be a miller in the menacing hour of the surf! Oh, “Bolero,” the sacred dance of battle!”The menacing tone of Ravel’s “Bolero” makes an incredibly strong impression - disturbing and uplifting. I believe that the “Invasion” episode in the first movement of Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony was an echo of it not only in some formal sense - this “sacred dance of battle” in Shostakovich’s symphony is mesmerizing. And it will also remain forever a sign of the spiritual tension of the human creator.The gigantic energy of Ravel's work, this growing tension, this unimaginable crescendo - lifts, purifies, spreads a light around itself that is never allowed to fade.
Unlike a drum, timpani have a hemispherical body and are capable of producing sounds of varying pitches due to the fact that their membrane is stretched using several handles, which are currently operated by a pedal. This essential quality contributed to the rapid growth of the use of timpani in instrumental ensembles. Currently, timpani are the most important percussion instrument in an orchestra. Modern timpani look like large copper cauldrons on a stand, covered with leather. The skin is pulled tightly onto the boiler using several screws. They hit the skin with two sticks with soft round felt tips.
Unlike other percussion instruments with leather, timpani produce a sound of a certain pitch. Each timpani is tuned to certain tone Therefore, in order to get two sounds, in the orchestra from the 17th century they began to use a pair of timpani. The timpani can be rebuilt: to do this, the performer must tighten or loosen the skin with screws: the greater the tension, the higher the tone. However, this operation is time-consuming and risky during execution. Therefore, in the 19th century, masters invented mechanical timpani, which could be quickly adjusted using levers or pedals.
March of 8 pieces for timpani. (Spanish: Elliot Carter)
The role of timpani in an orchestra is quite varied. Their beats emphasize the rhythm of other instruments, forming either simple or intricate rhythmic figures. Rapid alternation of strokes of both sticks (tremolo) produces an effective increase in sound or reproduction of thunder. Haydn also depicted thunderclaps using timpani in The Four Seasons.
Beginning of E. Grieg's Piano Concerto. D conductor - Yuri Temirkanov. WITHOlist - Nikolai Lugansky.Great Hall of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, November 10, 2010
Haydn also used timpani to depict thunderclaps in his oratorio “The Seasons.”
Shostakovich in the Ninth Symphony makes the timpani imitate cannonade. Sometimes the timpani are assigned small melodic solos, as, for example, in the first movement of Shostakovich's Eleventh Symphony.
Conducted by Gergiev,
Performed by PMF Orchestra 2004.
Already in 1650, Nikolaus Hasse (c. 1617 - 1672) used timpani in Aufzuge für 2 Clarinde und Heerpauken, and Lully in Theseus (1675). Timpani were used by Henry Purcell in The Faerie Queene (1692), Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel, and Francesco Barzanti (1690 - 1772) introduced timpani in Cocerto Grosso (1743). Pinned in classical orchestra F.J.Haydn, W.A.Mozart, L.van Beethoven, timpani were acquired during the era of romanticism decisive role in the percussion group (Hector Berlioz included eight pairs of timpani in his monumental Requiem, 1837). And today the timpani are a fundamental part of this group in the orchestra and even take on a leading role in some musical fragments, such as the glissandi in the Adagio from Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta (1936) by the Hungarian composer Be ly Bartok.
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 began with rhythm, and then the melody arose.
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 skin or metal plates, wooden blocks etc. But look closely, and you will see that in everything else the drums differ: in shape, size, material, and sound character.
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 point of view, the 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 a single rhythm 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.
As part of a symphony or brass band Usually there are two drums - large and small. But in a jazz orchestra or variety ensemble In addition to these two, the drum kit includes up to seven more 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 downwards, 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 makes it possible to achieve a strict pitch of sound. Therefore, a composer can write notes for timpani. The case happens different sizes, and therefore the sound is of different heights. 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 V. musical masters have 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 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 they gave it this 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 dishes.
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.