Percussion

History

A percussion instrument is one that is struck with the hand, a beater or a stick, or shaken to produce sound. Percussion instruments are generally divided into two groups: tuned and untuned percussion. Tuned percussion refers to instruments that contain a musical scale when struck, and untuned percussion has no definite note pitch and is generally used to create rhythmic patterns or keep a steady beat.

Facts & Features

• Percussion is the oldest of all the musical instrument families. These instruments emerged in various cultures as early as 6000 B.C.
• Drums are the oldest of all percussion instruments and have been used for war, ceremonies, dancing and musical entertainment.
• Tuned percussion instruments include the xylophone, marimba, glockenspiel, timpani and tubular bells. The snare drum, bass drum, tambourine and cymbals are examples of untuned percussion.
• Orchestral percussionists play several percussion instruments throughout the course of a piece of music.
• The piano is considered a percussion instrument, because small mallets hit its strings, which are set in motion by the striking of fingers on the keys. It is called a chordophone.

Famous Players

Vida Chenoweth - (1929-)

Keiko Abe - (1937-)

Emmanuel Séjourné - (1961-)

Peter Sadlo - (1962-2016)

Evelyn Glennie - (1965-)

Music To Listen To

Bartók - Sonata for 2 pianos and percussion – timpani

Jennifer Higdon - Percussion Concerto

Saint Seans - Fossils from The Carnival of the Animals - xylophone

Steve Reich  - Drumming

Panufnik - Concertino for Timpani, Percussion and Strings

Find Out

• Who composed the Paper Percussion Concerto?
• Which percussion instrument has to be tuned before it is played?