Percussion Instruments

A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand, or struck against another similar instrument. Excluding zoo musicological instruments and the human voice, the percussion family is believed to include the oldest musical instruments.

The percussion section of an orchestra most commonly contains instruments such as the timpani, snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, and tambourine. However, the section can also contain non-percussive instruments, such as whistles and sirens, or a blown conch shell. Percussive techniques can even be applied to the human body itself, as in body percussion.

Percussion instruments may play not only rhythm but also melody and harmony. Percussion is commonly referred to as “the backbone” or “the heartbeat” of a musical ensemble, often working in close collaboration with bass instruments, when present. In jazz and other popular music ensembles, the pianist, bassist, drummer, and sometimes the guitarist are referred to as the rhythm section. Most classical pieces written for full orchestra since the time of Haydn and Mozart are orchestrated to emphasize the strings, woodwinds, and brass. However, often at least one pair of timpani is included, though they rarely play continuously. Rather, they serve to provide additional accents when needed.

TYPES OF PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS

Tabla: The Tabla is one of the most famous instruments of India. It is a two-piece percussion instrument and is the principal rhythmic accompaniment to most North Indian classical and light music. It is said to have originated from the two-faced drum called the mridangam and the pakhawaj. The most popular artist of Tabla is Ustad Zakir Hussain.

Dhap: The Dhap is a rhythm instrument. It is in the shape of a Khanjari made up of wood with one side open and the other side covered with a piece of animal skin. It has a wooden frame with leather stretched over the frame. There is a dance called Dhap associated with this instrument.

Chenda: The Chenda is an important percussion instrument used in many dance forms of Kerala and mainly in the Kathakali, and the Koodiyattam. It is one of the traditional instruments used in Kerala temples. It is also known as a change in certain areas of Karnataka and is used in folk dance drama called the Yakshagana. The drum is usually made of jackfruit wood. Both sides of the Chenda are covered with skin. Although the Chenda has two faces, only one surface is used.

Dholak: The dholak is a double-headed drum with the bass head on one side and the treble head on the other. It is one of the most widely utilized drums in the folk music of India. It is also a popular instrument in most recording and broadcast environments.

Nagara: The Nagara is a percussion instrument having two kettle drums which are played with two sticks. It has been described in ancient Puranas as the Dundubhi, the Dundhu, the Dundhub, the Bheri, and the Amber. It is often played in pairs, known as Joh Nagara. The nagara was also used as a war drum. Its beat heralded the arrival of kings and princes and meant that the army was marching into battle. Today, it is played on festive occasions.

Khol: The khol is a terracotta two-sided percussion instrument used in the accompaniment of devotional, spiritual, and folk music and dances. It is an integral part of the accompaniment of most folk music of rural Bengal. It is similar to the mridangam, the dholak, and the pakhawaj percussion instruments.

Madal: The Madal is a hand drum that is popular as a folk drum in North India. It has its origin in Nepal. It is made of wood or clay. Both heads are played, holding the Madal drum horizontally. It is smaller in size compared with other double skin drums.

Thavil / Tavil: The Thavil is a powerful double drum percussion instrument used mainly for the Nagaswaram. It has a hollow barrel made of a solid block of wood. On both sides of the barrel are the hoops fastened by interwoven leather straps. There are also two skins stretched to form the two heads. The pitch is adjusted by tightening the skin with the help of a leather band that passes through the middle of the barrel over the braces.

Damroo: The Damroo is a two-sided drum also known as the monkey talking drum. It has an hourglass shape. The player holds the damroo drum in one hand and gives it a sharp twist with the wrist, causing the beads to strike the drum heads. It is made from wood but formerly was made from a human cranium. The Damroo has been the instrument of shamans and exorcists as well as those who sing the praises of Guga, Lord of the Snakes.

Dhol: The dhol is a two-sided barrel-shaped drum held around the neck. It is played with two sticks, one thin cane stick, and a larger bent wooden stick for the bass end. The left head, dhamma, has a heavier sound. The right head is called pure. The shell of dhol is made from one piece of wood, ideally a hardwood such as Chesham, which is similar to teak. The harder the wood the sharper and clearer is the sound.

Ghatam: The Ghatam is one of the oldest percussion instruments in South India. It is a specially designed mud pot with a narrow end, used as a secondary percussion instrument along with the Mridangam.

The pot is usually made of a mixture of clay baked with brass or copper filings and a small number of iron fillings.

Names for percussionists

The general term for a musician who plays percussion instruments is “percussionist” but the terms listed below often describe specialities:

1. Balafonist: a balafon player
2. Bombisto: a bombo legüero player
3. Bongocero: someone who plays the bongos and usually cencerro (a cowbell)
4. Congalero, conguero: someone who plays congas
5. Cymbalist: someone who plays the cymbals
6. Djembefola: djembe player.
7. Drummer: someone who plays the drumset, hand drums, or a single drum such as a Snare drum.
8. Dununfola: dunun player.
9. Glockenspielist: someone who plays the glockenspiel.

Within rock music, the term “percussionist” is often used to refer to someone who plays percussion instruments but is not primarily a drummer. The term is especially found in bands where one person plays drums and another plays other hit instruments.

Summary

Idiophones are instruments whose own substance vibrates to produce sound (as opposed to the strings of a guitar or the air column of a flute); examples include bells, clappers, and rattles. Membranophones emit sound by the vibration of a stretched membrane; the prime examples are drums. The term percussion instrument refers to the fact that most idiophones and membranophones are sounded by being struck, although other playing methods include rubbing, shaking, plucking, and scraping.