Hello class, and welcome to the lecture on the percussion family of instruments. This colorful section comprises many diverse and unique instruments. It is divided into two groups, the pitched section and the unpitched section.
However, they are united by the fact that a player must strike, shake, or scrape them in order to produce sound. Percussion adds great color to the sound of any ensemble because of its dramatic and effective sounds. This lecture will focus on the historical development, construction, and musical significance of this great section.
It is not an all-inclusive list of the percussion family but includes the most used ones, especially in concert situations. The first and most important instrument of this section is the timpani. As a matter of fact, the timpanist is the principal of the percussion section, and the timpani is also known as the kettle drums because of its bowl-like form, and it is the only drum that can be tuned.
With the timpani, I introduce the pitched group of the percussion. These bowls have a stretched sound head over the top of the drum. Usually, there are four drums and they are tuned this way, A, C, E, and F.
Today, many timpanists use a digital tuner attached to the timpani to tune the drums precisely. However, one could also use a foot pedal mechanism, which is slightly less precise. The main purpose of tuning the drums is to provide harmonic and rhythmical support to the orchestra.
Initially used in the 1600s to support the pitch and rhythm of the strings, they have become a standard instrument in every symphony orchestra. Composers such as Beethoven and Mahler used them consistently in their compositions. We find them today in pop and rock concerts to add rhythmic drive to the music. Its sound is highly characteristic and sublime.
It is not unusual to find them in recording studios around the world for their effective sound and impact. The xylophone is another member of the pitched group of percussive instruments. The wooden bars are arranged like the keys on the piano keyboard. They are struck with mallets of various dimensions and weights. Generally, the xylophone has a woody and penetrating tone, and it is used for its melodic and articulated yet percussive character.
Its sound color adds a distinct flavor to the music. Along with the hand piano and the gamelan, the origin of the xylophone can be traced to African and Asian cultures. It began to be used in Western orchestras in the late 1800s. It is one of the staples of percussion ensembles, especially when playing contemporary music.
Normally, a xylophone player uses four mallets to play harmonic passages easily. It is used widely in jazz and modern music ensembles. Our next member of the pitched group within the percussion family is one with a German name.
The glockenspiel is popular in marching bands and orchestras. It is also known as the orchestra bells and sounds similar to the celesta but is played with mallets. Contrary to the xylophone, the glockenspiel uses metal plates to produce its high-pitched, bell-like sound, which is very clear and piercing.
Nevertheless, this instrument has a magical flair when played within the orchestra. usually during fantasy passages. This is followed by the marimba, an instrument larger than the xylophone.
It includes resonators below the wooden bars to amplify the sound of its wooden bars. Played with mallets, it is frequently used in Latin American music. The warm tone of the marimba has a wide range, which makes it a perfect instrument for both melodic and harmonic passages within the orchestra.
More and more composers incorporate the marimba into their music, particularly in film and modern music. Another famous pitch percussion instrument is the vibraphone. However, this one has a unique feature that others don't possess. Its mechanism is more sophisticated because it has a motor-driven resonator, which gives the instrument its name.
This mechanism creates a vibrato-like effect with a sustained tone. Like the previous percussive instruments, the vibraphone provides melodic and harmonic support and is prominently used in jazz. It's not very common to listen to the vibraphone in the orchestra, but occasionally, one can enjoy its mellow tones in an orchestral or contemporary music ensemble.
And now, it is the turn of the triangle, a little tiny instrument made out of metal bent into a triangular shape. This triangle comes in different sizes, thus producing different pitches. It is struck with a metal beater, and produces a very piercing sound that rings over the orchestra's sound. Despite its size, this instrument has lots of personality and adds that sparkle that composers need at a particular moment in the music.
I could almost call it the Chihuahua of the symphony. Cute, huh? Now, it is time for the unpitched group of the percussion family. I will start with the bombastic cymbals, mostly made of bronze. This metallic percussion instrument consists of two round plates that excite the music when the player brings them together with furious force.
The cymbal's entrance always brings great enthusiasm and anticipation to the audience. There are various types of cymbals, crash, suspended, and hi-hats. Composers use them for particular moments in the music. With their explosive and climatic sound, the crash cymbals are the most used within the orchestra.
Generally, cymbals give music a particular and powerful accent or add brightness to the orchestra's sound. Hi-hats and suspended cymbals are not often used within the orchestra, but their use in certain passages creates a dramatic crescendo and brilliance in the music. Cymbals date back to ancient civilizations, but they have found a home in the symphony orchestra. Our next member of the unpitched group is the snare drum.
Maurice Ravel wrote its most famous solo in his Bolero. Inspired by the mechanical sounds of a family's factory, Ravel gave the snare drum the protagonist role in the piece and placed the percussionist right next to the conductor in front of the orchestra. Its sound is sharp and distinct.
The snare drum has two heads, one upper and one lower head, with a metal wire that stretches across the lower head. When the wires are engaged and close to the lower head, they produce a buzzing sound when struck with the drumstick. The instrument has evolved from its military background to prominence in the classical, jazz, and popular musical scene. When a composer wants to infuse a festive character into the music, he uses the tambourine. This handheld instrument has small metal jingles around the wooden edge that produce a bright sound when shaken or struck.
It is normally used during dance-like passages within a work of music. The tambourine origins go back to ancient cultures, and although its uses may have evolved, Evidence shows that the instrument has not changed much since its inception. Another companion of the tambourine's festive character are the castanets.
Often associated with Spanish and flamenco dance music, composers use them to spice some musical passages. Their fast-clicking sound adds to the complexity of the rhythm and to the exotic flair of the music. The somber and lugubrious sound of the bass drum, also known as the gran casa, emphasizes a dark moment in the music.
It is characterized by its low and resonant sound. It uses a large padded mallet to produce a thunderous and deep tone to add drama to the music. The bass drum has a military and ceremonial background, but it has a significant role within the orchestra of today punctuating certain moments with its low sounds. As I come to the conclusion of today's percussion lecture, I trust you have learned some important features of the main representatives of this colorful and driving family of instruments. From the pitched to the unpitched group of instruments presented today, it is clear that the main role of this family is to stress the big moments in the music.
Rhythm is the pace of the music, but the percussion family, as rich and varied as it is, encompasses diverse sound colors, dynamics, and a driving landscape of rhythmical sounds. Their versatility and their vital presence in every genre of music continue to highlight their importance for composers, performers, and audiences worldwide.