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
Famous quotes containing the words percussion and/or instruments:
“We got our new rifled muskets this morning. They are mostly old muskets, many of them used, altered from flint-lock to percussion ... but the power of the gun was fully as great as represented. The ball at one-fourth mile passed through the largest rails; at one-half mile almost the same.... I think it an excellent arm.”
—Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)
“Water, earth, air, fire, and the other parts of this structure of mine are no more instruments of your life than instruments of your death. Why do you fear your last day? It contributes no more to your death than each of the others. The last step does not cause the fatigue, but reveals it. All days travel toward death, the last one reaches it.”
—Michel de Montaigne (1533–1592)