Percussion Instruments

Percussion instruments are musical instruments that produce sound primarily by being struck, shaken, or scraped. They are classified into two main categories: pitched and unpitched percussion.

Pitched Percussion Instruments:

• These instruments produce notes of specific pitches, similar to other melodic instruments like pianos or guitars. Examples include:

• Timpani (kettledrums): Large drums with tunable pitches, commonly used in orchestras.

• Xylophone: Wooden bars of different lengths arranged in a row and struck with mallets to produce musical tones.

• Marimba: Similar to a xylophone but with resonators beneath the bars to enhance the sound.

• Vibraphone: Similar to a xylophone but with motor-driven rotating disks in the resonators for vibrato effects.

Unpitched Percussion Instruments:

• These instruments produce sounds without specific pitches and are often used for rhythmic accompaniment. Examples include:

• Snare drum: A small drum with snares (metal wires) stretched across the bottom head, producing a crisp, buzzing sound when struck.

• Bass drum: A large drum that produces deep, low-pitched sounds, often used to emphasize strong beatsin music.

• Cymbals: Metal discs that are struck together or individually to produce crashing or shimmering sounds.

• Tambourine: A handheld drum with metal jingles (zils) around the rim, shaken or struck to produce rhythmic accents.

• Triangle: A small, metal percussion instrument shaped like a triangle, struck with a metal beater to produce a clear, ringing tone.