|
Meet the Instruments |
||
| The Four Families |
||
|
The Percussion Family The PERCUSSION family includes many different instruments but all of them have one thing in common. They produce their sound by being struck, scraped, or rattled.
Some of them have definite pitches, like the TIMPANI, and can be used to play a melody or to reinforce the harmony of the music.
Other PERCUSSION instruments are not tuned to definite pitches but are used to produce stirring rhythms or to achieve special sound effects. Some of these instruments are the CYMBALS, SNARE DRUM and BASS DRUM. |
||
|
|
The CYMBALS are made from two large, slightly concave brass plates, cymbals are fitted with leather hand straps and are shaped so that when they are crashed together, only the edges touch. Although cymbals are untuned instruments, different sized cymbals produce a wide range of sound effects. |
Click to Sample 2 Cymbal Crashes
|
|
|
The SNARE DRUM is a shallow, cylindrical drum. The sound that is produced is very distinctive to the drum (higher in pitch than the bass drum). The snares, which are bands of metal wires, are pulled across the bottom head of the drum. This produces a buzzing or snapping sound when the drum is struck using a variety of techniques. |
Click to Sample Snare Drum
|
|
|
The BASS DRUM is mainly used to keep a pulse in music. They are played with a soft-headed stick which produces a low, heavy sound that is heard prominently in marches. |
Click to Sample Bass Drum
|
| Claves, Tambourine and Triangle are also percussion instruments used by orchestra. | ||
|
PERCUSSION instruments with definite pitches include the TIMPANI. A TIMPANI is also known as a KETTLE DRUM. |
||
 |
The TIMPANI, were the first drums to be used in the orchestra over 300 years ago. They are constructed of a large copper bowl with a drumhead made of calfskin or plastic stretched across the top. When struck with felt-tipped wooden sticks, or mallets, timpani produce a specific pitch that is determined by the drum's size. That pitch is fine-tuned by tightening the drumhead with keys and foot pedals. |
Click to Sample Timpani
|
| Xylophone and Chimes are additional examples of percussion instruments with definite pitches. | ||
 BACK |
||
