7/29/2011

Percussion- What is a Percussion Instrument

By Scott E. Hutton


Instruments that make a sound when struck by yet another object fall into this category. Their sound comes from striking, scraping, shaking or any other action that sets off a vibration. Percussion is actually a term normally employed to describe an object in a musical sense and rhythmic context. This sort of musical device was probably among the initial musical instruments following the human voice. Early percussion instruments included feet, hand, and later sticks and rocks. These instruments not merely offer rhythm but may also add harmony or melody to a song when played.

A lot of of these instruments are hand-held like a shaker, a tambourine or a triangle. Percussion instruments come in a number of supplies including wood, metal or plastic. Two types of shakers exist. The first is filled with beads or bits of plastic after which you can find those that use jingles, that are small discs of metal that tape together when shaken. Cowbells also fall into this category. They're any sort of hand-held bells which are hit with the fingers, wood or metal. A triangle is really a triangular shaped piece of steel that when hit with a steel stick makes a sound.

Drums fall into this musical category. They fall into the percussion group membranophones since drums consist of 1 membrane named the drum skin. Several elements figure out how a drum sounds. The construction of the drum shell, the sort of drumhead, shape and tension on drum skins can all influence the sound and pitch. Shell thickness helps establish the volume of a drum. Thicker drum shells produce a louder sound. Drum players strike the drum skin with either their hands or drumsticks to generate music. Musicians can combine various forms of drums to create a drum kit and create a variety of sounds.

The piano makes a variety of sounds due to the fact the hammers strike strings. For this reason, the piano is one of the largest percussion instruments. Other music makers like the xylophone and keyboards also need striking to make sound and fall into this category.

Scrapers are small, typically wooden, instruments that make a sound by scraping the raised ridges having a stick or comb. Washboards are yet another kind of scraper. They are rectangular and with metal ridges that make sound when brushed with a whiskbroom or metal thimbles. Regardless of whether shaken, struck or scraped, percussion instruments can add rhythm to any sort of music.




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