What is Percussion?
What is Percussion – In general, a percussion instrument is any object that can produce sound either by being hit, shaken, rubbed, stirred or sounded in any way. That’s why percussion instruments have many members because many musical instruments can make vibrations on the object. The term instrument or percussion instrument is usually used as an accompaniment in a musical game
What is a Percussion Instrument?
Some percussion instruments do have tones and sounds, especially those that can sound notes like common musical instruments such as the xylophone, piano, and timpani. However, some percussion instruments are also toneless, such as bass drums, castanets, and cymbals.
Percussion instruments have become a known term since 1619. At that time, the German musicologist and composer, Michael Praetorius, wrote about percussion, the klopfende Instrument is like a stomping instrument. From there, this percussion instrument is divided into three groups, namely idiophones, membranophones, and chordophones.
An idiophone percussion instrument is an instrument whose substance vibrates to produce a sound against or against the guitar strings and the flute’s air column. Examples are bells, clappers, and rattles. While percussion instruments membrafon emit sound with the vibration of a stretched membrane, for example, is a drum.
One more thing, percussion chordophones are all instruments that fall into this category which are then referred to as string instruments. A chordophone is a type of musical instrument whose sound source comes from vibrating strings. This term refers to the fact that idiophones or membranophones sound stomping even though other playing methods include vibrating, scraping, picking, and rubbing.
Functions of Percussion Instruments
Percussion instruments are often considered the “life” or “backbone” of a musical performance. This instrument not only acts as an accompaniment, but as a melody that also plays harmony. In practice, percussion instruments will collaborate with bass instruments. In jazz or pop music, bassists and drummers are generally classified as rhythmic sections. Usually, classical music is written in orchestral performances since the era of Hadyn or Mozart more often uses string, woodwind, and brass instruments.
Classification of Percussion Instruments
Apart from discussing What is Percussion, we want to know the classification of percussion. Percussion instruments are classified according to various criteria which sometimes depend on their construction, customs/traditions, function in music theory and orchestras, or prevalence with existing general knowledge. Percussion instruments are classified as “instrumental intonation” or “instrument without intonation”. However, this classification is broadly seen as still not quite right.
1. Based on the Way Sound is Produced
Idiophone
Idiophony is a percussion instrument that produces sound through vibrations of the entire body of the instrument. Examples of instruments that fall into the idiophonic category: bell, celesta. chimes, cymbals, hi-hat, marimba, slit drum, Suspended cymbals, triangle, vibraphone, woodblock, xylophone, vibraslap, cabasa, and güiro.
Membranophone
Most percussion instruments are known as “drums” fall into the membranophone category. Membranophony will produce sound when the membrane is struck. Examples of instruments that fall into the membranophone category: snare drum, tom-tom, bass drum, timpani, bongo drum, djembe, and conga.
Chordophone
Almost all types of instruments that fall into the “cardiotonic” category are defined as string instruments, some examples of instruments that fall into this category are hammered dulcimer, piano, onavillu, and harpsichord.
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2. Based on the Function of the Music or Orchestra
Classification based on function is distinguished on: pitched percussion instruments, and pitched percussion instruments.
Pitched percussion instrument
Percussion instruments in this group are sometimes referred to as “tuned”, “pitched” or simply “pit”. Examples of pitched percussion instruments: chimes, crotales, glass harp, glass harmonica, lira, marimba, steelpan, hang drum, timpani, tuned triangle, vibraphone, wind chimes, xylophone, and tabla.
pitchless percussion instrument
Instruments that fall into this category are described as “non-pitched”, “unpitched”, or “untuned”. This phenomenon arises because the sound produced by the instrument has a complex frequency so it cannot be determined as a tone. Examples of pitchless percussion instruments: anvils, bass drums, castanets, cymbals, gongs. snare drums, tom-toms, and rainsticks.
3. Based on the Prevalence According to General Knowledge
Some of the percussion instruments used by percussionists and composers in playing music cannot qualify as musical instruments. Therefore, distinguishing one instrument from another is based on the acceptance and consideration of listeners in general. Several types of percussion instruments that fall into this category are popular such as drum kits, gongs, and tambourines.
Meanwhile, percussion instruments that are less popular in this category include brooms, flower pots, gallon bottles, drink cans, iron pipes, plastic bags, shopping carts, bicycle wheels, and rocks. Do not rule out other objects around us that can make sounds and accompany the music.
4. Based on Customs/Traditions
Percussion instruments related to the culture of origin for these instruments are not commonly done because they tend to create a division between instruments that fall into the “general” or “modern” category, with traditional instruments that have strong historical uses or values in the community’s traditions. or certain ethnic groups. Some types of percussion instruments in this category are berimbau, bodhrán, Bombo legüero, Cajon, dhol, djembe, gamelan, kulintang, kpanlogo, lagerphone, Latin percussion, marimbula. pogo cello, thavil, urumee, udukai, mridangam, taiko, lead and spear.
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