Percussion instruments, the names and descriptions of which are presented in this article, arose earlier than other musical instruments. They were used in ancient times by the peoples of the Middle East and the African continent to accompany warlike and religious dances and dances. Percussion instruments, the names of which are numerous, as well as their types, are very common these days, not a single ensemble can do without them. These include those in which the sound is produced by a blow.

Classification

According to their musical qualities, that is, if it is possible to extract sounds of a particular pitch, all types of percussion instruments can be divided into 2 groups, the names of which are presented in this article: with an indefinite pitch (cymbals, drums, etc.) and with a certain pitch ( xylophone, timpani). They are also divided, depending on the type of vibrator (sounding body), into self-sounding (castanets, triangles, cymbals, etc.), plate (bells, vibrophones, xylophones, etc.) and membranous (tambourine, drums, timpani, etc.).

Now you know what types of percussion instruments exist. Let's say a few words about how the timbre and loudness of their sound is determined.

What determines the volume and timbre of sound

The volume of their sound is determined by the amplitude of the vibrations of the sounding body, that is, by the force of the blow, as well as by the size of the sounding body. Amplification of sound in some instruments is achieved by adding resonators. The timbre that certain types of percussion instruments have depends on many factors. The main ones are the method of impact, the material from which the instrument is made, and the shape of the sounding body.

Webbed Percussion Instruments

The sounding body in them is a membrane or a stretched membrane. These include percussion instruments, the names of which are: tambourine, drums, timpani, etc.

Timpani

Timpani is an instrument with a certain pitch, which has a metal body in the shape of a cauldron. A membrane made of leather is stretched across the top of this cauldron. A special membrane made of polymeric materials is currently used as a membrane. It is fixed to the body with tensioning screws and a hoop. The screws located around the circumference are loosened or tightened. The timpani percussion instrument is tuned as follows: if you pull on the membrane, the pitch becomes higher, and if it is lowered, it will be lower. In order not to interfere with the membrane vibrating freely, there is a hole at the bottom for air movement. The body of this tool is made of brass, copper or aluminum. Timpani are installed on a tripod - a special stand.

This instrument is used in an orchestra in a set of 2, 3, 4 or more cauldrons of different sizes. The diameter of modern timpani is from 550 to 700 mm. There are the following types: pedal, mechanical and screw. Pedals are the most common, since you can tune the instrument to the desired key without interrupting your playing by pressing the pedal. In timpani, the sound volume is approximately equal to a fifth. Below all the others, a large timpani is tuned.

Tulumbas

Tulumbas is an ancient percussion instrument (timpani genus). He served in the 17th-18th century in the army, where it was used to signal alarms. It is a pot-shaped resonator in shape. This ancient percussion instrument (a kind of timpani) can be made of metal, clay or wood. From above it is covered with leather. This construction is beaten with wooden bats. A dull sound is produced, reminiscent of a cannon shot.

Drums

We continue to describe percussion instruments, the names of which were listed at the beginning of the article. The drums have an indeterminate pitch. These include various percussion instruments. The names listed below all refer to drums (different varieties). There are big and small orchestral drums, big and small variety, as well as bongos, tom-bass and tom-tenor.

A large orchestral drum has a cylindrical body, covered with plastic or leather on both sides. It is characterized by a dull, low, powerful sound produced by a wooden mallet tipped with a felt or felt ball. For drum membranes, they are now starting to use polymer film instead of parchment leather. It has better musical and acoustic properties and higher durability. On drums, the membranes are secured with tensioning screws and two rims. The body of this instrument is made of plywood or sheet steel and covered with artistic celluloid. It has dimensions of 680x365 mm. The big pop drum has a construction and shape similar to that of an orchestral. Its dimensions are 580x350 mm.

A small orchestral drum is a low cylinder covered with plastic or leather on both sides. The membranes (membranes) are fastened to the body with clamping screws and two rims. To give the instrument a specific sound, special strings or snare (spirals) are pulled over the lower membrane. They are driven by a dropping mechanism. The use of synthetic membranes in drums made it possible to significantly improve the reliability of operation, musical and acoustic characteristics, presentation and duration of service. Small orchestral drum measures 340x170 mm. He is included in the symphony and military brass bands. The pop drum has a device similar to that of an orchestral. Its dimensions are 356x118 mm.

The drums of tom-tom-bass and tom-tom-tenor do not differ in structure. They are used in pop drum kits. The tenor tom is attached to the bass drum with a bracket. Tom-tom-bass is installed on a special stand on the floor.

Bongs are small drums with plastic or leather stretched on one side. They are included in the drum set. Bongs are connected by adapters.

As you can see, many percussion instruments are related to drums. The names listed above can be supplemented to include some less popular varieties.

Tambourine

A tambourine is a shell (hoop) with plastic or leather stretched on one side. Special slots are made in the body of the hoop. Brass plates are fixed in them, they look like small orchestral cymbals. Inside the hoop, sometimes small rings, bells are strung on spirals or stretched strings. All this tinkles at the slightest touch of the tambourine, creating a special sound. The blows on the membrane are made with the palm of the right hand (its base) or with the tips of the fingers.

Tambourines are used to accompany songs and dances. In the East, the art of playing this instrument achieved virtuosity. Solo tambourine playing is also widespread here. Dyaf, def or gaval is an Azerbaijani tambourine, hawal or daf is Armenian, daira is Georgian, doira is Tajik and Uzbek.

Plate percussion instruments

Let's continue to describe percussion musical instruments. Photos and names of plate drums are presented below. Such instruments with a certain pitch include the xylophone, marimba (marimbaphone), metallophone, bells, bells, vibraphone.

Xylophone

A xylophone is a collection of wooden blocks of various sizes that correspond to sounds of different heights. Bars are made from rosewood, spruce, walnut, maple. They are placed in parallel in 4 rows, following the order of the chromatic scale. These sticks are attached with sturdy laces and are also separated by springs. A cord runs through the holes made in the blocks. The xylophone for playing is laid out on a table on rubber share pads, which are located along the cords of this instrument. It is played with two wooden sticks with a thickening at the end. This instrument is used for playing in an orchestra or for solo playing.

Metallophone and marimba

The metallophone and marimba are also percussion musical instruments. Do the photos and their names tell you anything? We invite you to get to know them better.

A metallophone is a musical instrument similar to a xylophone, but its sound plates are made of metal (bronze or brass). His photo is presented below.

Marimba (marimbafon) is an instrument in which the sounding elements are wooden plates. It also has metal tubular resonators to amplify the sound.

Marimba has a juicy, soft timbre. The range of its sounding is 4 octaves. The playing plates of this instrument are made of rosewood. This ensures good musical and acoustic characteristics of this instrument. Plates are arranged in 2 rows on the frame. In the first row, there are pitch plates, and in the second, semitones. The resonators, installed in 2 rows on the frame, are tuned to the sounding frequency of the corresponding plates. A photo of this tool is presented below.

The main units of the marimba are fixed on the support trolley. The frame of this trolley is made of aluminum. This ensures sufficient strength and minimum weight. Marimba is used both for educational purposes and for professional play.

Vibraphone

This instrument is a set of aluminum plates, chromatically tuned, which are arranged in 2 rows, similar to a piano keyboard. Plates are installed on a high table (bed) and fastened with laces. Cylindrical resonators of a certain size are located in the center under each of them. Through them pass in the upper part of the axis, on which the fan fans (impellers) are fixed. This is how vibration is achieved. The damper device has this tool. It is connected under the bed with a pedal so that you can mute the sound with your foot. The vibraphone is played with 2, 3, 4, and sometimes a large number of long sticks with rubber balls at the ends. This instrument is used in a symphony orchestra, but more often in a pop or as a solo instrument. His photo is presented below.

Bells

What percussion instruments can be used to reproduce bell ringing in an orchestra? The correct answer is bells. It is a set of percussion instruments used in symphony and opera orchestras for this purpose. The bells consist of a set (12 to 18 pieces) of cylindrical tubes that are chromatically tuned. Usually chrome-plated steel pipes or nickel-plated brass pipes. Their diameter ranges from 25 to 38 mm. They are suspended on a special frame-stand, the height of which is about 2 m. A sound is made by striking the pipes of a wooden hammer. The bells are equipped with a special device (pedal-damper) for sound damping.

Bells

It is a percussion instrument consisting of 23-25 ​​metal plates, chromatically tuned. They are placed in 2 rows on a flat box. The black piano keys correspond to the top row, and the white ones correspond to the bottom row.

Self-sounding percussion instruments

Talking about what percussion instruments are (names and types), one cannot fail to mention self-sounding percussion. This type includes the following instruments: cymbals, tam-tams, triangles, rattles, maracas, castanets, etc.

Plates

Cymbals are metal discs made of nickel silver or brass. A somewhat spherical shape is given to the cymbal discs. Leather straps are attached to the center. A continuous ringing sound is made when they hit each other. Sometimes they use one plate. Then the sound is produced by hitting a metal brush or stick. Orchestral cymbals, gong cymbals and charleston cymbals are produced. They sound ringing, sharp.

Let's talk about what other percussion instruments are. Photos with names and descriptions will help you get to know them better.

Orchestral triangle

The orchestral triangle (its photo is presented below) is a steel bar of an open triangular shape. This instrument is suspended freely when played and then struck with a metal stick, while performing various rhythmic patterns. A ringing, bright sound has a triangle. It is used in various ensembles and orchestras. Triangles are produced with two sticks made of steel.

A gong or there-there is a bronze disc with curved edges. A felt-tipped mallet is struck at its center. It turns out a gloomy, thick and deep sound, reaching full strength gradually, not immediately after the impact.

Castanets and maracas

Castanets (a photo of them is presented below) is a folk instrument of Spain. This ancient percussion instrument is shaped like shells tied with a cord. One of them is facing the spherical (concave) side to the other. They are made from plastic or hardwood. Castanets are available as single or double.

Maracas are balls made of plastic or wood, filled with shot (a small number of pieces of metal) and decorated colorfully on the outside. They are equipped with a handle to make them comfortable to hold while playing. Various rhythmic patterns can be played by shaking the maracas. They are used mainly in pop ensembles, but sometimes in orchestras.

Rattles are sets of small plates fixed on a wooden plate.

These are the main names for percussion musical instruments. Of course, there are many more of them. We talked about the most famous and popular ones.

Drum set that a pop ensemble has

In order to have a complete understanding of this group of instruments, you must also know the composition of the drum kits (setups). The most common line-up is the following: big and small drum, big and small single cymbal, twin hay-hat (Charleston) cymbals, bongos, tom-tom alto, tom-tom tenor and tom-tom-bass.

On the floor in front of the performer, a large drum is installed, which has support legs for stability. The drums tom-tom alto and tom-tom tenor can be fixed on the top of the drum with the help of brackets. It also has an additional stand on which the orchestral cymbal is fixed. The tom-tom alto and tom-tom tenor brackets on the big drum adjust their height.

The mechanical pedal is an integral part of the kick drum. The performer uses it to extract sound from this musical instrument. A small pop drum must be included in the drum kit. It is fastened with three clamps on a special stand: one retractable and two folding ones. The stand is installed on the floor. This is a stand, which is equipped with a locking device for fixing in a certain position, as well as changing the tilt of the snare drum.

The snare drum has a muffler and a dump device, which are used to adjust the tone. Also, the drum kit sometimes includes several tenor tom-tom, alto tom-tom and drum tom-tom, of different sizes.

Also the drum kit (its photo is presented below) includes orchestral cymbals with a stand, a chair and a mechanical stand for the "Charleston". Maracas, triangles, castanets and other noise instruments are accompanying instruments of this setup.

Spare parts and accessories

Spare accessories and parts for percussion instruments include: stands for orchestral cymbals, snare drum, Charleston cymbals, timpani sticks, mechanical drum beater (big drum), snare drum sticks, pop drum sticks, orchestral brushes, beaters, etc. leather for a bass drum, belts, cases.

Percussion keyboard instruments

Distinguish between percussion keyboard and percussion instruments. Piano and grand piano belong to percussion keyboards. The strings of the piano are horizontal, struck by a hammer from bottom to top. The piano differs in that the hammer strikes in the direction from the musician on the strings forward. In this case, the strings are stretched in a vertical plane. Grand pianos and pianos, due to the richness of sounds in terms of sound power and pitch, as well as the great possibilities of these instruments, have received a common name. Both the one and the other instrument can be called in one word - "piano". The piano is a stringed percussion instrument in the way of sound extraction.

The keyboard mechanism, which is used in it, is a system of levers interconnected, which serves to transfer the energy of the pianist's fingers to the strings. It consists of a mechanic and a keyboard. A keyboard is a set of keys, the number of which can be different depending on the sound range of a particular instrument. The keys are usually lined with plastic overlays. They are then pins mounted on the keyboard frame. Each of the keys has lead seals, a pilot, a capsule and an escutcheon. It transfers, as a lever of the first kind, the effort of the pianist to the figure of the mechanic. Mechanics are hammer mechanisms that convert the effort of a musician when pressing a key into striking the strings of hammers. Hammers are made of hornbeam or maple, they are wrapped around their head with felt.

Percussion folk instruments. Video tutorial

Russian folk percussion instruments are the first of three groups of folk instruments.A characteristic feature of Russian folk percussion instruments is that some of them were household items.Perhaps one of the most common Russian folk instruments are spoons. Spoons used to be wooden, and people began to use these wooden spoons as a percussion instrument. They usually played on three spoons, of which two were held in one hand, and the third in the other. Children often play on two spoons, fastened together The spoon performers are called spoons ... There are very skilful spoons who play on more spoons, which are stuck in both boots and in the belt.

The next percussion instrument, which was also a household item, is ruble ... It is a wooden block with jagged edges on one side. It was used to wash and iron the laundry. If we hold it with a wooden stick, then we will hear a whole cascade of loud, crackling sounds.

Our next tool that we will get acquainted with will be ratchet ... There are two varieties of this tool. A ratchet, which is a set of wooden plates tied together with a rope and a circular ratchet, inside which is a toothed drum, during the rotation of which a wooden plate hits it.

No less popular percussion folk instrument is tambourine , which is a wooden hoop with small metal plates, on one side of which leather is stretched.

The next Russian folk percussion instrument is box ... It is a block of wood, usually made of hardwood, with a small cavity under the top of the body that amplifies the sound produced by drumsticks or xylophone sticks. The sound of this instrument conveys well the clatter of hooves or the clatter of heels in the dance.

Russia with its vast expanses cannot be imagined no triplets horses, no coachmen. In the evening, on a snowy perga, when visibility was very poor, it was necessary for people to hear the approaching three. For this purpose, bells and bells were hung from the horse under an arc. Bell is a metal cup open to the bottom with a drummer (tongue) suspended inside. It sounds only in limbo. Bell it is a hollow ball in which a metal ball (or several balls) rolls freely, when shaken hitting the walls, as a result of which a sound is produced, but dimmer than a bell.

So many songs and instrumental compositions have been dedicated to the Russian troika and the coachmen that it became necessary to introduce into the orchestra of folk instruments a special musical instrument that imitates the sound of coachman bells and bells. This tool was named so - bells ... A strap is sewn onto a small piece of leather the size of a palm to help hold the tool in the palm of your hand. On the other hand, as many bells themselves are sewn on. Shaking the bells or striking them on the knee, the player produces sounds reminiscent of the ringing of the bells of the Russian troika.

Now we will talk about an instrument called kokoshnik .

In the old days, village watchmen were armed with so-called mallets. The watchman walked

at night in the village and knocked on it, letting the villagers understand that he was not sleeping, but working, and at the same time scaring off the thieves.

The percussion folk instrument kokoshnik is based on the principle of this guard beater. It is based on a small wooden frame covered with leather or plastic, which is struck by a ball suspended from the upper part. The player makes frequent oscillatory movements with his hand, forcing the tied ball to dangle from side to side and alternately hit the walls of the kokoshnik.

The next musical instrument is called firewood ... It consists of logs tied with a rope of different lengths. Not all firewood will sound good. It is better to take hardwood firewood. Logs are taken of different lengths, but approximately the same thickness. After the tool is made, it is tuned.

We got acquainted with the main Russian folk instruments, and in conclusion I would like to introduce you to some of the most famous percussion instruments of other nations.

A very common Latin American instrument is maracas.

Maracas or maraca is the oldest percussion and noise instrument of the indigenous inhabitants of the Antilles - the Taino Indians, a type of rattle that emits a characteristic rustling sound when shaken. Currently, maraki are popular throughout Latin America and are one of the symbols of Latin American music. Typically, a musician playing marakas uses a pair of rattles, one in each hand.

In Russian, the name of the instrument is often used in a not quite correct form "maracas". The more correct form of the name is "maraka".

Originally, the dried fruit of the gourd tree, known in Cuba as "guira", and in Puerto Rico as "iguero", was used to make marakas. The gourd tree is a small evergreen that is widespread in the West Indies (Antilles), Mexico, and Panama. Large iguero fruits, covered with a very hard green shell and reaching 35 cm in diameter, were used by the Indians to make both musical instruments and dishes.

For the manufacture of marak, small fruits of the correct round shape were used. After removing the pulp through two holes drilled in the body and drying the fruit, small pebbles or plant seeds were poured inside, the number of which in any pair of marakas is different, which provides each instrument with a uniquely individual sound. At the last stage, a handle was attached to the resulting spherical rattle, after which the instrument was ready

Now let's get to know the very famous Spanish percussion instrument - castanets.

Castagnets are a percussion musical instrument, which is in the form of two concave shell-plates, connected in the upper parts by a cord. Castanets are most widespread in Spain, southern Italy and Latin America.

Similar simple musical instruments, suitable for rhythmic accompaniment to dance and singing, were used in Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece.

The name of the castanets in Russian is borrowed from Spanish, where they are called castañuelas ("chestnuts") because of their resemblance to chestnut fruits. In Andalusia they are more often called palillos ("sticks").

Plates have traditionally been made from hardwood, although more and more metal or fiberglass is used for this. In a symphony orchestra, for the convenience of performers, castanets fixed on a special stand (the so-called "castanet machine") are most often used.

The castanets used by Spanish dancers and female dancers have traditionally been made in two sizes. Large castanets held on with their left hand and beat off the main movement of the dance. Small castanets were in the right hand and played a variety of musical patterns, which accompanied the performance of dances and songs. Accompanied by songs, the castanets acted only as a role-playing - during a break in the voice part.

In world culture, castanets are most strongly associated with the image of Spanish music, especially with the music of Spanish gypsies. Therefore, this instrument is often used in classical music to create a "Spanish flavor"; for example, in such works as J. Bizet's opera Carmen, in Glinka's Spanish overtures “Jota Aragonese” and “Night in Madrid”, in Rimsky-Korsakov's Spanish Capriccio, in Spanish dances from Tchaikovsky's ballets.

Although percussion instruments are not assigned the main role in music, percussion instruments often give music a unique flavor.

Among all musical instruments, the percussion group is the most numerous. And this is not surprising, because percussion musical instruments are the most ancient on earth. Their history dates back to almost the very birth of mankind. The most primitive of them are either very simple to manufacture, or do not require any processing at all. In fact, every object of the surrounding world can serve as such a tool.

So the first percussion instruments in the world were the bones of animals, tree branches, and later, for playing music, people began to use the items of kitchen utensils that had appeared by that time - cauldrons, pots, and so on.

Percussion musical instruments of different nations

Due to the above circumstances: simplicity of manufacture and history, rooted in antiquity, percussion instruments have become so widespread that they have penetrated literally every corner of our planet. Each nation has its own instruments, the sound of which is produced with the help of blows of one kind or another.

Of course, the number of percussion instruments for each individual nation depends on the nature of its musical culture. For example, in the countries of Latin America, where ethnic music is distinguished by a variety of rhythms, complexity of rhythmic patterns, percussion instruments are an order of magnitude greater than, for example, in our country, in Russia, where folk song art often does not imply any instrumental accompaniment. But still, even in countries where the melodic principle prevails over the rhythmic one in folk music, they still have their own unique percussion instruments.

Percussion instrument percussion

Some drums eventually formed a single whole, which is now called a drum kit. Drum kits are typically used in various types of pop music: rock, jazz, pop, and so on. Instruments that are not included in the classical composition of the drum kit are called percussions, and the musicians who play them are called percussionists.

Such instruments, as a rule, have a pronounced national character. The most widespread today are percussion musical instruments of the peoples of Latin America and Africa.

History of the name

The very name of the musical instrument "percussion" has Latin roots. It comes from the root meaning "hit, hit". It is interesting that this word is familiar not only to musicians and music lovers, but also to doctors. Percussion in the medical literature is called a method of diagnosing diseases by tapping on the tissues of the body and analyzing the sound they make. It is known that the sound of a blow to a healthy organ differs from the sound of a blow to a diseased organ.

Musical percussion is also associated with impacts that resonate with a person, albeit not through direct impact, as in medicine.

Percussion musical instrument classification

A great variety of percussion instruments that do not belong to the set of the classical drum kit, over time, began to need to be systematized. Instruments of this kind are usually divided into those tuned to certain musical notes and noise instruments - that is, those whose sound does not have a certain pitch. The former include the xylophone, metallophone, timpani and others. All kinds of drums - percussion of the second kind.

According to the sound source, musical instruments of percussion are divided into:

1. Membranophones - that is, those in which the sound comes from the vibrations of a membrane stretched over some kind of base, such as a tambourine.
2. Idiophones - where the sound source is the entire body of the instrument, or its integral parts, such as a triangle, metallophone and the like.

In turn, idiophones are classified into wood and wood.

An interesting fact is that the piano also belongs to the musical instruments of the percussion genus, since in this instrument the sound is obtained by striking the strings with hammers. An ancient musical instrument such as cymbals also belongs to string percussion.

Exotic Instruments

Percussion in contemporary music

Despite their national roots, percussion instruments are used not only in ethnic music. In many modern jazz orchestras and rock bands, in addition to a drummer playing a traditional kit, a percussionist is also involved.

Thus, the rhythm section of the ensemble is noticeably enriched due to the richness of the percussion parts. Samples of percussion musical instruments are also used in various areas of electronic music. The drum kit in a symphony orchestra is called orchestral percussion.

Percussion kits

For those who want to try playing percussion as an amateur musician, or for those who are professional in the field, both standalone percussion instruments and ready-made kits are available for sale.

For the youngest musicians, you can find children's percussion kits in music stores, and they are often sold in regular toy stores. Sometimes these instruments are completely identical to real percussions, except for their reduced size.

Famous percussionists

• Airto Moreira - Famous for his collaboration with jazz music classic, Miles Davis. His solo projects are also known. He contributed to the spread of small noise percussion instruments in European jazz.
• Karl Perazzo is the percussionist of the famous band Santana.
• Arto Tunçboyaciyan is a vocalist, composer and percussionist. Known for its ability to get first-class sound from any object at hand.

Introduction

Percussion musical instruments

Percussion musical instruments- a group of musical instruments, the sound of which is produced by impact or shaking (swinging) [hammers, mallets, sticks, etc.] over the sounding body (membrane, metal, wood, etc.). The largest family among all musical instruments.

Percussion Classification

The variety of varieties and forms of percussion musical instruments has formed several options for their classification. The same tool can belong to several groups.

By pitch, percussion instruments are divided into

• Percussion instruments with a specific pitch, which can be tuned to specific notes of the scale. Such instruments include timpani, xylophone, vibraphone, bells and a number of others;
• Percussion instruments with indeterminate pitch that are not tuned to specific sounds. Among these instruments - big and small drums, triangle, cymbals, tambourine, castanets, there and there and others.

By sound production, percussion instruments are divided into

Membranophone example - armenian dhol

• Membranophones- instruments in which the sounding body is a stretched membrane made of leather or plastic. These include timpani, drums, tambourine, bongos, dhol, tom-toms, etc.

• Idiophones- instruments in which the sounding body is the whole instrument (gong, there-there), or consisting of entirely sounding bodies (triangle, xylophone, marimba, vibraphone, bells)

By material, idiophones are additionally divided into

• Metal idiophones the sounding elements of which are made of metal - a triangle, vibraphone, bells;
• Wooden idiophones, the sounding elements of which are made of wood - a wooden box, Korean temples (temple blocks), a xylophone.

A special group of percussion instruments is made up of string percussion instruments, in which strings are the sounding body. These instruments include the piano, as well as folk instruments of the dulcimer genus.
2. Percussion

A range of percussion instruments that are not part of the classic drum kit. These include tabla, darbuka, tambourine, tambourine, maraca, cowbell, bells, shakers, congo, bongo, triangle, ratchet, wooden box, castanets, and dozens of other ethnic percussion instruments. Used, in a different set, in all types of musical orchestras and ensembles. There are also groups (Malaysia, Africa, India, South America, Northern peoples), consisting of performers playing only on percussion instruments. Such groups usually perform ritual music and accompany ceremonial festivals. Distributed mainly in tribes. They also perform on the big stage as a rhythmic accompaniment to exotic vocal and dance groups. Among the music of academic composers, there are works written only for percussion instruments. Usually this is a fairly large and variegated composition of instruments. In addition to traditional instruments and a drum kit, various ethnic percussion instruments are often used. In Russia (USSR), the incentive for writing music for a percussion ensemble was the creation of such an ensemble by Mark Pekarsky, who still performs successfully to this day. Also, it is probably used in a figurative sense (human percussion), which means approximately the same as the Jericho trumpet or the person who attracts a lot of attention.

In modern musical culture, especially in the field of orchestral and ensemble performance, there is a noticeable increase in the role of percussion instruments. The richness of timbre and coloristic colors, huge artistic and expressive possibilities, melodic and rhythmic potential, a wide range of dynamic and dashed variety - this is not a complete list of the advantages of this instrumental group.

Audio recordings

Oboe: wooden musical instruments / per. G. Schmalfrus, T. Varga [and others]. - M.: Tvik-Lyric, 1998. - 1 star. cassette. - (Classical music instruments).

Clarinet: woodwind instruments / per. J. Lancelot, I. Kita [and others]. - M.: Tvik-Lyric, 1998. - 1 star. cassette. - (Classical music instruments).

Saxophone: wind musical instruments / per. B. Marsalis, J. Harle [and others]. - M.: Tvik-Lyric, 1998. - 1 star. cassette. - (Classical music instruments).

Flute: woodwind instruments / per. P. Meissen, H. Rucker, [and others]. - M.: Tvik-Lyric, 1998. - 1 star. cassette. - (Classical music instruments).

Percussion musical instruments

Percussion musical instruments - a group of musical instruments, the sound of which is produced by striking or shaking (swinging) hammers, sticks, beaters, etc. on the sounding body (membrane, metal, wood, etc.). The largest family among all musical instruments. Due to the simplicity of the principle of sound production, they were the first musical instruments (strikes with sticks, bone scrapers, stones). Always associated with certain rhythmic alternations, they formed the first musical instrumental composition. Percussion instruments are used in modern orchestras, ensembles for metro-rhythmic, dynamic and timbre-coloristic design of music.

From the acoustics point of view, percussion instruments are characterized by the presence in their spectra of a wide scale of overtones, in which there is noise. The disharmony of the sounds of percussion instruments is slightly greater than the disharmony of the instruments of the wind group. The spectrum (timbre) of sounds of percussion instruments depends largely on the place and strength of their excitation; the degree of hardness or softness of the material from which the sounding bodies are made; their sizes. The sound of percussion instruments is decaying, with different durations.

The variety of varieties and forms of percussion musical instruments has formed several options for their classification. The same tool can belong to several groups.

By pitch, percussion musical instruments are divided:

percussion musical instruments with a certain pitch that can be tuned to specific notes of the scale (timpani, xylophone, vibraphone, bells and etc. ) ;

percussion musical instruments with undefined pitch that are not tuned to specific sounds (big and snare drums, triangle, cymbals, tambourine, castanets, there-there and etc. ).

B araban - a percussion musical instrument with an indefinite pitch, which is a hollow body (or frame) serving as a resonator, on which a membrane is stretched on one side or both sides. The diaphragms at the drums are secured by two rims and tensioning screws located around the circumference of the tool body. The drum body is made of sheet steel or plywood, lined with artistic celluloid. To give the drum a specific sound, special strings or spirals (snare) are pulled over the lower membrane, which are driven by a release mechanism. Sound is produced by hitting the membrane (the most common method) or by rubbing it. The use of synthetic membranes in drums made it possible to significantly improve their musical and acoustic capabilities, operational reliability, and service life. Distinguish drums small and large orchestral, small and big pop, tom tenor, tom bass, bongos.

B
big drum sounds powerful. His voice resembles thunder or cannon shots. Therefore, it is often used for pictorial purposes. The big drum is played with wooden sticks with soft beaters at the end, made from cork or felt.

Snare drum has a dry and distinct sound, its roll emphasizes the rhythm well, sometimes revives the music, sometimes brings anxiety. Play on it with two sticks.

A symphony or brass band usually consists of two drums - big and small, but in a jazz orchestra or pop ensemble, the drum kit, in addition to these two, includes up to seven tomtamov, the body of which is similar to an elongated cylinder. The character of their sound is different. The drum kit also includes bongos- two small drums, one slightly larger than the other, they are combined into a single pair and played most often with the hands. The installation can be entered and congas- their body tapers downwards, and the skin is stretched only on one side.

B
killed - percussion musical instrument. One of the oldest, he appeared in a symphony orchestra in the 19th century. The device of this instrument is very simple: as a rule, it is a narrow wooden or (less often) metal hoop (shell) on one side tightened with a membrane made of leather or a bubble, the other side is open. Diameter - 400-500 mm. The diaphragm is either glued to the shell, or tightened with thumbs and screws. On the inner side of the shell, rattling rings, plates are suspended; in some species, small metal "plates" are inserted into the slots on the pins. Sometimes, even inside the hoop, small bells, rings are strung on stretched strings or spirals. All this tinkles from the slightest touch of the instrument, creating a peculiar sound. The membrane is struck with the tips of the fingers or the base of the palm of the right hand. Tambourines are used for rhythmic accompaniment of dances and songs. In the East, where the art of playing the tambourine has reached virtuoso mastery, solo playing on this instrument is widespread. Azerbaijani tambourine is called def, dyaf or gaval, Armenian - daph or hawal, Georgian - dyra, Uzbek and Tajik - doira.

During the game, the performer freely holds the instrument in his hand with his fingers, palm, fist of the other hand, strikes the membrane in the center and closer to the shell, producing sounds of different pitch and timbre, runs a moistened finger of his right hand over the skin, causing a characteristic vibrato, shakes, making ringing ... Sometimes the instrument is struck on the knee, elbow, head, etc. A tambourine is used as a rhythmic instrument to accompany dances, solo and choral singing. He is a member of folk and professional ensembles and orchestras.

TO
astagnets - (Spanish. castanetas, the name "castanets" in Spanish means "Little chestnuts")- a percussion musical instrument with an indeterminate pitch, belonging to the family idiophones of Mavroandalusian (Spanish) origin. Castanets are most common in Spain and Latin America. Interestingly, despite the widespread belief that castanets are a purely Spanish invention, similar musical instruments are also found in many other cultures. The prototypes of modern castanets existed in Ancient Egypt about 3 thousand years BC. e. In those days, they were used during religious ceremonies. Later, this instrument fell in love with the ancient Greeks and Romans. Today castanets (or similar instruments) are found in India, Switzerland, Turkey and Japan, as well as in some other countries. However, despite such wide popularity, most of us still associate castanets with the image of Spanish music, especially with the music of Spanish gypsies, flamenco style, etc. Therefore, this instrument is often used in classical music to create a "Spanish flavor".

Castanets also consist of two or three shell-shaped plates made of hard wood, which are loosely connected at one end with a cord. When playing, the performer taps one of the plates in the required rhythm, thus creating a specific bright clicking sound.

TO
laves - (Spanish. clave, literally - "key") - a Cuban folk percussion musical instrument of African origin: two round sticks 15-25 cm long each, carved from very hard wood, with the help of which the main rhythm of the ensemble is set. The performer holds one of them in a special way (so that the clenched palm is a resonator) in his left hand, striking it with another stick.

The sound is sharp, high-pitched, ringing like a xylophone, but without a certain pitch.

If necessary, two or even three pairs of such sticks can be selected, differing in size and, accordingly, in the height of their sound relative to each other (higher or lower).

Individual beats in any rhythmic sequence are possible, as well as tremolo... To do this, the performer holds both sticks side by side, pushing them alternately with the upper and lower ends.

It is widely used in Cuban music, as well as in such styles of Latin American music as mambo, salsa and etc.

TO
silophone - (ital. Xylofono, fr. Xylophone) Is a self-sounding percussion musical instrument, which is a set of wooden blocks of different sizes, corresponding to sounds of different heights. Bars are made from rosewood, maple, walnut, spruce. They are arranged in parallel in four rows in the order of the chromatic scale. The bars are fastened on strong laces and separated by springs. The cord goes through the holes in the blocks. During the game, it is placed on a special table, which is equipped with resonators - copper sleeves of various sizes, brought under the bars, while the sound becomes more melodious.

For the game, the xylophone is laid out on a small table on the share rubber pads located along the cords of the instrument. The xylophone is played with two wooden sticks with a thickening at the end. The xylophone is used both for solo playing and in the orchestra. Xylophone range - from si small octave to before fourth octave.

Nowadays, keyboard-like instruments with blocks arranged in two rows like keys are used more often. The sound is produced by two sticks carved from wood with bulges at the ends - the so-called. goat legs. The timbre is loud-piercing, clicking, in the upper register - dryish. Xylophones come in a variety of sizes, with a range of 1.5-3.5 octaves. Xylophone - very virtuoso instrument. Great fluency is possible on it in fast passages, tremolo and a special effect - glissando(swift movement with a stick on the bars).

L itaurs Is a very ancient musical instrument. Many peoples have long encountered instruments consisting of a hollow vessel, the opening of which is covered with leather. It is from them that the modern timpani originated. Timpani have a huge range of sound power - from imitating the rolling of thunder to a quiet, barely perceptible rustle or hum. Structure: metal body in the form of a boiler. The body has a certain, strictly calculated dimensions, which allows you to achieve a strict pitch. In order not to interfere with the free vibration of the membrane in the center of the boiler, there is an opening for air movement at the bottom. Timpani are a set of two, three or more copper cauldrons with leather or plastic stretched over them, which are installed on a special stand. The timpani body is made of copper, brass or aluminum, they are installed on a tripod stand. Distinguish between screw, mechanical and pedal timpani. The most common are pedals, since with one press of the pedal, you can, without interrupting the game, re-tune the instrument to the desired key.

They play while standing or sitting with sticks with spherical or disc-shaped heads made of felt (felt).

At the direction of the composer, sticks with heads made of rubber, sponge, wood and other material can also be used in the notes. The sound timbre largely depends on the size of the head and the degree of their elasticity (hardness or softness). The sticks are held in both hands in the same way; they are struck by an energetic downward movement of the hands.

Maracas - percussion paired musical instrument with an indefinite pitch from family of idiophones Hispanic origin. Maracas came to European music from Cuban dance orchestras, where they used often as an instrument to emphasize the sharp syncopated rhythm... Now maracas are an integral part of Latin American dances such as salsa, cha-cha-cha, rumba, meringue and samba... They balance the passionate movements and burning music of these pieces.

Original Cuban maracas are made from dried hollow coconut, inside of which are poured small pebbles and olive grains. A handle is attached at the bottom. When moving in a circular motion, the maraca makes a dull hissing sound; when shaken, it produces a characteristic noise. Modern maracas are balls with a handle made of thin-walled wood, plastic or metal material, filled with pebbles, shot, peas or sand. Maracas are held by the handle and shaken while playing, thus creating a ringing-rustling sound, reproducing various rhythmic patterns.

Varieties: abves, atchere, erikundi- in Cuba, kashishi, aja, ague, shere, hanza- in Brazil, ouada- in Chile.

M
arimba - a percussion musical instrument (of African origin), the sounding elements of which are wooden plates (from 4 to 20), reinforced horizontally (using leather or fiber cords) on two metal or bamboo slats, located parallel or at an angle to each other. The playing plates are made of rosewood wood, which ensures high musical and acoustic properties of the instrument. The plates are arranged in two rows on the frame. The first row contains pitch plates, the second row contains halftone plates. Installed on a frame in two rows resonators(metal tubes with plugs) are tuned to the sound frequency of the respective plates. The main assemblies of the marimba are fixed on a support cart with wheels, the frame of which is made of aluminum, which ensures minimum weight and sufficient strength.

The sound is produced by striking two wooden, straight or curved rubber-tipped sticks. In musical use, marimba also has the name marimbaphone.

Marimba has a soft, juicy timbre, has a sound range of four octaves: from a note before small octave to note before fourth octave.

Marimba can be used by both professional musicians and educational purposes.

T
trees – ( ital. piatti, fr. cymbales, it. Becken, English cymbals)- a percussion musical instrument with an indefinite pitch, which consists of two slightly concave metal discs with flat edges (made of brass or nickel silver). On the outside, the cymbals have bulges, called cups, in the center of which holes are drilled for attaching the straps necessary for holding in the hands.

Plates were already known to the Ancient World and the Ancient East, but the Turks were famous for their special love and exceptional art of making them. In Europe, plates became popular in the 18th century, after the war with the Ottomans.

The pitch of the cymbals depends on the size, grade of the metal alloy and the method of their manufacture (forging, casting). The plates are available in different diameters. In a brass band, cymbals with an average diameter of 37–45 cm are usually used. The sound quality is influenced by the way they are excited, the size, and the material from which they are made.

As a rule, cymbals are played while standing, so that nothing interferes with their vibration, and so that the sound propagates freely in the air. The usual technique of playing this instrument is an oblique, glancing blow of one cymbal against another, after which a resounding metallic splash is heard, which hangs in the air for a long time. If the performer wants to stop the vibration of the cymbals, he brings them to his chest, and the vibrations subside.

On cymbals, execution is possible tremolo, which is achieved by quickly alternating cymbal strikes with timpani or snare drumsticks. In orchestral practice, playing on a cymbal (or cymbals) suspended on a special stand is also used. Produced orchestral cymbals, charleston cymbals, gong cymbals.

T
reangle - percussion musical instrument high tessitura... It is a steel bar bent in the form of an incomplete triangle with a diameter of 8–10 mm of various sizes, respectively, of different sounding heights (albeit indefinite). When played, it is held in the hand or suspended on a string. Play on the triangle with a metal stick without a handle, if necessary (as a performing technique) muffle the sound with the left hand holding the triangle. The sound is high-pitched, bright, clear and transparent. Orchestral triangles with two steel sticks are produced.

T cut broom - percussion wooden musical instrument designed for rhythmic or noise accompaniment of singing, dancing, ceremonies and magic rituals. In the musical instruments of various peoples, there are many rattles of the most varied forms and devices. Whether this instrument was used in Ancient Russia as a musical instrument, there is no written evidence. During archaeological excavations in Novgorod in 1992, 2 plaques were found, which, according to V.I.

Ratchets were used in wedding ceremonies for the performance of dignified songs with dancing. The choral performance of the majestic song is often accompanied by the performance of an entire ensemble, sometimes numbering more than 10 people. During the wedding, the rattles are decorated with ribbons, flowers, and sometimes bells. The use of rattles in a wedding ceremony suggests that in the past this instrument, in addition to a musical one, also performed the mystical function of protecting young people from evil spirits. In a number of villages, not only the tradition of playing is still alive, but also the tradition of making rattles.

In a symphony orchestra, a ratchet is a box rotated by the performer around a cog wheel on the handle, while an elastic wooden plate, jumping from one tooth to another, emits a characteristic crackle. Most spectacularly harsh dry tremolo in nuance forte or fortissimo- quiet sonority is generally impossible; rhythmically not too complex sequences of separate "claps" are also obtained.

Chocalo (tubo) - percussion musical instrument, close maracas based on the principle of sound production. It is metal (chocalo) or wooden (kameso) cylinders filled, like maracas, with any bulk material. A feature of some chocalo models is the presence of a leather membrane that makes up one of the side walls. As well kameso, chocalo, held with both hands, shaken vertically or horizontally, or rotated. Both instruments sound louder and sharper than maracas. Finger tapping on the body also produces a brighter sonority than on maracas.

Music-making (ensemble), takes place in unity with the development musicalinstrument and are included in the uniform annual requirements. The main ... of the opera "War and peace"(6); A. Rybalkin. Skomoroshina (14) *. Character dance (5); G. Sviridov. Musical box (16 ...