Percussion Instruments
Instrument name | Common usage
Pitched /Unpitched /Both |
Classification | References and notes |
---|---|---|---|
Afoxé | Unpitched | ||
Agogô | Unpitched | Idiophone | |
Alfaia | Unpitched | ||
Angklung | Pitched | Idiophone | |
Anvil | Unpitched | ||
Apito | Unpitched | Aerophone | Also known as samba whistle. Some apitos produce up to three different tones, but none of these is normally used as a pitched note. |
Atabaque | Unpitched | ||
Bass drum | Unpitched | Membranophone | |
Batá drum | Unpitched | Membranophone | |
Bell | Both | Idiophone | |
Bodhrán | Unpitched | ||
Bond | |||
Bongo drum | Unpitched | Membranophone | |
Cabasa | Unpitched | Idiophone | |
Castanets | Unpitched | Idiophone | |
Cajón | Unpitched | Cuban box drum | |
Caxixi | Unpitched | ||
Celesta | Pitched | Idiophone | As a keyboard instrument, not part of the percussion section of the orchestra |
Chácaras | Unpitched | ||
Chime bar | Pitched | Idiophone | |
Cimbalom | Pitched | ||
Claves | Unpitched | ||
Conga | Unpitched | Membranophone | |
Cowbell | Both | Idiophone | Tuned cowbells are known as almglocken or alpine bells |
Crotale | Both | Idiophone | |
Cuíca | Unpitched | ||
Cup chime | Pitched | Idiophone | The only pitched cymbal, it is identical to a bell cymbal in all but usage |
Cymbal | Unpitched | Idiophone | |
Daf | Unpitched | Membranophone | Also known as Dafli, Dap, Def, Tef, Defi, Gaval, Duf, and larger ones defi or daire |
Dayereh | Unpitched | Also known as doyra, dojra, dajre, doira, dajreja | |
Djembe | Unpitched | Membranophone | |
Dholak | Both | Membranophone | Also known as dholki, similar to dohl |
Dohl | Both | Membranophone | The bass head is pitched, the treble often unpitched, see pitched percussion instruments easily mistaken for unpitched |
Dohol | Both | Membranophone | Persian dohl |
Dunun | Both | Membranophone | In ballet style playing, a repeating melody is played on three pitched drums |
Flexatone | Unpitched | ||
Frame drum | Unpitched | Membranophone | |
Ganzá | Unpitched | ||
Glass harp | Unpitched | ||
Glockenspiel | Pitched | Idiophone | |
Goblet drum | Unpitched | Membranophone | Generic type by construction, see also individual instrument names |
Gong | Unpitched | Idiophone | |
Gonguê | Unpitched | ||
Güiro | Unpitched | Idiophone | Also known as scraper |
Hammered dulcimer | Pitched | Chordophone | Listed as a stringed instrument in some classifications |
Hand bell | Both | Idiophone | |
Hand-repique | Unpitched | Membranophone | |
Jam block | Unpitched | Idiophone | |
Janggu / Janggo / Changgo | Pitched | ||
Jawbone | Unpitched | Idiophone | |
Kalimba | Pitched | Idiophone | African musical instrument, a type of plucked idiophone (lamellophone) |
Keyboard glockenspiel | Pitched | Idiophone | A keyboard instrument, not normally part of a percussion section |
Lithophone | Pitched | Idiophone | |
Maraca | Unpitched | Idiophone | |
Marching machine | Unpitched | Idiophone | |
Marimba | Pitched | Idiophone | |
Metallophone | Pitched | Idiophone | |
Monkey stick | Unpitched | Idiophone | Also known as mendoza or lagerphone |
Octoban | Both | Membranophone | |
Pandeiro | Unpitched | ||
Piano | Pitched | Chordophone | A keyboard instrument, not normally part of a percussion section but listed as percussion in some older classifications, and stringed in others |
Quadrangularis Reversum | Pitched | Idiophone | |
Ratchet | Unpitched | Idiophone | |
Rattle | Unpitched | Idiophone | |
Repique | Unpitched | Membranophone | |
Ring-repique | Unpitched | Membranophone | |
Rototom | Both | Membranophone | |
Sand blocks | Unpitched | ||
Siren | Unpitched | Aerophone | |
Shekere | Unpitched | ||
Skrabalai | Pitched | ||
Sleigh bells | Unpitched | Idiophone | Jingle bells |
Slide whistle | Both | Aerophone | |
Snare drum | Unpitched | Membranophone | |
Steel pan | Pitched | Idiophone | Also known as steel drum |
Surdo | Unpitched | ||
Tabla | Pitched | Membranophone | See pitched percussion instruments easily mistaken for unpitched |
Tambora | Unpitched | Membranophone | |
Tamborim | Unpitched | ||
Tambourine | Unpitched | Membranophone | But the headless tambourine is an idiophone |
Tambour | Unpitched | ||
Tan-tan | Unpitched | ||
Taxi horn | Unpitched | ||
Temple block | Both | Idiophone | |
Timbal | Unpitched | ||
Timbales | Unpitched | Membranophone | |
Tonbak | Unpitched | Persian, also known as tombak, donbak and dombak, and as Tombakh Naar in Kashmir | |
Thunder machine | Unpitched | Idiophone | |
Thundersheet | Unpitched | Idiophone | |
Tom-tom drum | Unpitched | Membranophone | |
Triangle | Both | Idiophone | |
Tubular bells | Pitched | Idiophone | |
Timpani | Pitched | Membranophone | |
Vibraphone | Pitched | Idiophone | |
Vibraslap | Unpitched | ||
Whip | Unpitched | Idiophone | Also known as slapstick |
Whistle | Unpitched | Aerophone | |
Wind chime | Unpitched | Idiophone | Borderline as pitched or unpitched, as a melody can sometimes be perceived |
Wind machine | Unpitched | ||
Wood block | Unpitched | Idiophone | |
Xylophone | Pitched | Idiophone | |
Xylorimba | Pitched | ||
Zabumba | Unpitched | ||
Zill | Unpitched | Idiophone | Also known as finger cymbal |
Read more about this topic: List Of Percussion Instruments
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—Rutherford Birchard Hayes (18221893)
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