percussion
instrumentsper-KUSH-un
The family of instruments played by striking, shaking, or scraping.
Percussion instruments produce sound through impact, shaking, or friction. They divide into two categories: pitched percussion (timpani, xylophone, marimba, vibraphone, glockenspiel, celesta, steel drum) and unpitched percussion (snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, tambourine, castanets, woodblock, cowbell, gong). The percussion section in an orchestra sits at the back and provides rhythmic drive, colour, and dramatic effect. In popular music, the drum kit — bass drum, snare drum, hi-hat, cymbals, and toms — is the standard percussion setup. World music traditions feature a vast array of percussion: djembe, tabla, conga, bongos, cajon, maracas, and claves, among many others. Percussion is arguably the oldest instrumental family, with drums and rattles predating all other known instruments.
The orchestral percussion section can require a single player to switch between a dozen or more instruments during a single piece.