Instruments of the

Orchestra
Percussion Family

The Percussion Family

Percussion instruments include any instrument that
makes a sound when it is hit, shaken, or scraped.
Some percussion instruments are pitched and can sound
different notes, like the xylophone, timpani or piano.
Some are un-pitched with no definite pitch, like the bass
drum, cymbals or castanets.
The most common percussion instruments in the
orchestra include the timpani, xylophone, cymbals,
triangle, snare drum, bass drum, tambourine, maracas,
gongs, chimes, celesta and piano.

Pitched Percussion

Timpani
They are big copper pots with drumheads made of calfskin
or plastic stretched over their tops.
Timpani are pitched instruments, which means they can
play different notes.
The timpanist changes the pitch by stretching or loosening
the drumheads, which are attached to a foot pedal.
Most orchestras have four timpani of different sizes and
tuned to different pitches and they are usually played by
one musician, who hits the drumheads with felt-tipped
mallets or wooden sticks.

Piano

Piano
People disagree about whether the piano is a percussion or a
string instrument.
You play it by hitting its 88 black and white keys with your fingers,
which suggests it belongs in the percussion family. However, the
keys lift hammers inside the piano that strike strings (indeed, the
piano has more strings than any other string instrument), which
produce its distinctive sound.
The piano has the largest range of any instrument in the
orchestra.
It is a tuned instrument, and you can play many notes at once
using both your hands.
Within the orchestra the piano usually supports the harmony, but
it has another role as a solo instrument (an instrument that plays
by itself), playing both melody and harmony.

Xylophone

Xylophone Facts
The xylophone originally came from Africa
and Asia, but has a Greek name that means
"wood sound."
The modern xylophone has wooden bars or
keys arranged like the keys of the piano,
which the player hits with a mallet.
Attached to the bottom of the wooden bars
are metal tubes called resonators, where the
sound vibrates. This gives the xylophone its
bright bell-like sound.

Un-pitched Percussion

Bass Drum

Bass Drum Facts

The bass drum, like the double bass, is the
biggest member of the percussion family and
therefore makes the lowest sounds.
The bass drum is built like a very large snare
drum, although without the snare; it is also
an un-pitched instrument.
It can produce a lot of different sounds from
roaring thunder to the softest whispers.

Snare Drum

Snare Drum Facts

The snare drum is a smallish drum made of wood or brass
with drumheads made of calfskin or plastic stretched over
both ends of a hollow cylinder.
It has a set of wire-wrapped strings stretched across the
bottom head (the snare), which give the snare drum its
unique "rattling" sound when the drum is hit.
The snare drum is an untuned drum, so it doesn't sound
distinct pitches. It is often used in military music and is a
central part of any marching band.
Snare drums are used to keep the rhythm and make special
sounds, such as drumrolls. You play the snare drum by
hitting the top with drumsticks, mallets or brushes.

Cymbals

Cymbal Facts
Cymbals are the biggest noisemakers of the
orchestra.
They are two large metal discs, usually made of spun
bronze.
Cymbals, which are untuned, come in a range of
sizes, from quite small to very large. The larger the
cymbal, the lower the sound they make.
You can play the cymbals either by hitting one
cymbal against the other, or you can use sticks,
mallets or brushes to hit one or both cymbals.