Percussion instruments make sound when they are struck, shaken, scraped, or rubbed. This cheat sheet helps students identify common percussion instruments and understand how they are grouped in band, orchestra, and world music. It is useful for reading ensemble parts, choosing the correct mallets or sticks, and describing instrument sounds accurately.
The main percussion groups are membranophones, idiophones, and auxiliary percussion, with instruments also described as pitched or unpitched. Pitched percussion, such as xylophone and timpani, can play specific notes, while unpitched percussion, such as snare drum and cymbals, usually creates rhythm and color. Important skills include reading rhythms, following dynamics, using correct sticking, and matching playing technique to the instrument.
Key Facts
- Percussion instruments produce sound when they are struck, shaken, scraped, or rubbed.
- Pitched percussion instruments, such as xylophone, marimba, vibraphone, glockenspiel, chimes, and timpani, can play definite musical notes.
- Unpitched percussion instruments, such as snare drum, bass drum, triangle, tambourine, and cymbals, usually play rhythms without a specific pitch.
- Membranophones make sound from a stretched membrane, such as a drumhead on a snare drum, bass drum, tom-tom, or timpani.
- Idiophones make sound from the vibration of the instrument body itself, such as a triangle, cymbal, woodblock, maracas, or xylophone bar.
- A roll is a rapid repeated sound that sustains a note, such as a snare drum roll or timpani roll.
- Dynamics tell percussionists how loud or soft to play, such as p for soft, mf for medium loud, and f for loud.
- Sticking patterns use R and L to show which hand plays each note, such as R L R L for alternating strokes.
Vocabulary
- Percussion
- A family of instruments that produce sound by being struck, shaken, scraped, or rubbed.
- Pitched percussion
- Percussion instruments that can play definite notes and melodies, such as marimba, xylophone, and timpani.
- Unpitched percussion
- Percussion instruments that create rhythm or sound color without a clear exact pitch, such as snare drum or crash cymbals.
- Membranophone
- An instrument that makes sound when a stretched membrane, or drumhead, vibrates.
- Idiophone
- An instrument that makes sound when its solid body vibrates.
- Mallet
- A stick with a shaped head used to strike instruments such as timpani, marimba, xylophone, or bells.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Calling every percussion instrument a drum is wrong because many percussion instruments, such as triangle, marimba, cymbals, and tambourine, do not have drumheads.
- Confusing pitched and unpitched percussion is wrong because instruments like timpani and xylophone play specific notes, while snare drum and cymbals mainly provide rhythm and color.
- Ignoring dynamics is a problem because percussion sounds can easily overpower an ensemble when played too loudly.
- Using the wrong mallets can damage an instrument or create the wrong tone, such as using hard mallets on a delicate marimba passage.
- Playing rolls as uneven single hits is incorrect because a roll should create a smooth, sustained sound with steady speed and control.
Practice Questions
- 1 Name two pitched percussion instruments and two unpitched percussion instruments.
- 2 A percussion part has the sticking pattern R L R L for 16 notes. How many notes are played with the right hand?
- 3 A measure in 4/4 contains four quarter notes on snare drum. How many beats does the measure last?
- 4 Why might a composer choose a triangle instead of a bass drum for a soft orchestral passage?
Understanding Percussion Instruments Reference
The sound of a percussion instrument changes because of vibration. A larger drumhead moves more slowly and tends to produce a lower sound. Tightening a drumhead makes it vibrate faster, which raises its pitch.
This is why timpani players use pedals to change notes during a piece. On a marimba or xylophone, each bar has a carefully chosen length and thickness. Longer bars usually sound lower.
Resonator tubes under the bars strengthen the sound and help it carry across a room. The player must understand that the same written note can have a very different tone on wood, metal, or a drumhead.
Pitch is not always perfectly clear. A cymbal creates many vibrations at once, so listeners hear a broad wash of sound rather than one note they can sing easily. A snare drum has wires under its lower head.
These wires buzz when the head is played, giving the instrument its sharp, dry character. Removing or changing the snares changes the sound greatly.
Students often meet these differences when comparing a concert snare drum with a drum set snare. The basic idea is similar, but the musical job, setup, and sound choices may be different.
Percussion notation gives players more information than rhythm alone. The note head, staff position, labels, and written instructions can identify which instrument to use. A part may require a quick change from triangle to tambourine, then to suspended cymbal.
Players need to plan where every instrument will sit before rehearsal begins. Written rests matter just as much as notes.
During a long rest, a player counts carefully, listens for cue notes from other sections, and enters at exactly the right moment. Losing count can affect the whole ensemble because percussion entrances are often exposed.
The point of contact shapes every stroke. A hard mallet brings out a bright attack on a glockenspiel, while a softer yarn mallet produces a warmer marimba sound. On a drum, striking near the center gives a fuller tone.
Playing closer to the rim gives a thinner, more focused sound. A good player lets the stick or mallet rebound naturally instead of forcing it into the surface.
This saves energy and improves control. Rolls need even spacing between strokes so that the ear hears one continuous sound rather than separate hits.
Percussion parts teach listening, timing, and responsibility. In a band or orchestra, the percussion section often supports the pulse, marks a transition, or adds one important color at the climax of a phrase. In marching band, timing must remain steady while players move.
In music from many cultures, hand drums, shakers, bells, and wooden instruments may carry repeating patterns that hold the group together. When practicing, start slowly with a steady beat, use the correct grip, and listen closely to the quality of each sound.
Accuracy means more than playing at the correct time. It includes choosing the intended tone, volume, length, and style.