What are percussion instruments?
Q: What are percussion instruments?
A: Percussion instruments are instruments which are played by shaking or hitting.
Q: Who plays a percussion instrument?
A: A person who plays a percussion instrument is a percussionist.
Q: What type of percussion instruments can play tunes?
A: Tuned percussion instruments, such as xylophones, glockenspiels, vibraphones, tubular bells and timpani can play tunes.
Q: What type of percussion instruments cannot play tunes?
A: Untuned percussion instruments, such as bass drums, side drums (snare drums), maracas, castanets, cymbals, tambourines and claves cannot play tunes.
Q: How many different kinds of percussion instruments can be found in an orchestra?
A: In an orchestra there can be more different kind of percussion instruments than in the other families; string woodwind and brass instruments.
Q: Did composers like Mozart and Beethoven use lots of percussive elements in their music?
A: No, most music for orchestra by composers like Mozart and Beethoven only used the timpani.
Q: In what century did composers start to use more percussive elements in their music? A: In the 19th century more percussive elements were added such as cymbals, tambourines and triangles. By the 20th century some composers may have used very many different types of percussive elements in their pieces.
