What is a percussion instrument?

Music

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by Kate Simmons >> more about the author

When you hear your favorite song, do you clap your hands or tap your feet to the beat? What if there were no beat? Would you be able to dance to the tune? Thanks to percussion instruments, we don’t have to worry about music missing a rhythm.

Percussion instruments are shaken, struck or scraped to make sound. You might say they help keep the beat! The snare drum, xylophone and tambourine are all instruments in the percussion family. Percussion instruments can add fun and intensity to a performance. Imagine a mallet striking a wood block to create the sound of horse hooves, or a cymbal clashing as the orchestra reaches its loudest point!

Sometimes it’s the percussion instrument itself, such as the triangle or cowbell, that vibrates to make sound. These percussion instruments are called idiophones. Other percussion instruments, such as the bass drum and the timpani, have a stretched membrane (like a drum head) that vibrates when struck to make sound. These instruments are called membranophones.

Some percussion instruments, like the marimba and vibraphone, have different pitches that sound as mallets strike the keys. Others, such as the bass drum, may produce roughly the same pitch (how high or low a note sounds) each time they are hit. Percussion instruments come in many different shapes and sizes!

Percussionists are hard workers with a good sense of rhythm. Their steady beat guides the rest of the band or orchestra, and they may even play more than one instrument during a song! Can you imagine using mallets to play the bells, cranking a ratchet, then playing the bongos with your hands, all within a few minutes? If your answer is yes, then you’re thinking like a percussionist!

Can you find containers around your house that will double as drums? An empty oatmeal carton, storage bin or cottage cheese container can make an excellent drum when cleaned out.

If you are able to gather a few homemade drums, can you tell which ones have higher pitches? Lower pitches? Use your hands to play your new instruments, or craft drumsticks from found items, such as popsicle sticks. Play on!