Percussion Instruments Through the Ages
It is generally agreed amongst anthropologists and archaeologists that other than the human voice, the first musical instruments known to mankind were percussion instruments. After the discovery of the voice as a means of creating sound for aesthetic purposes, percussion certainly followed shortly after. Sticks, hands, feet and rocks were struck in order to create a rhythm to accompany singers and evolved into percussion instruments closer to the types used today. Along with the technologies of simple tools for agriculture and hunting came the developments of more sophisticated drums, with logs being shaped with tools to produce louder sounds and smaller logs being cut into a set of drums which produced different tones.
As time moved on, so is the evolution of percussion instruments. In the early 10th century, it was known that most tribes in Africa use sorts of percussions such as djembe, macaras used in Latin America, karimbas in Asia and seed rattles in Australia for their recreational and worship rituals and sometimes used in sending signals.
Percussion instruments that are displayed in orchestra first came from Asia Minor. In the 15th century, people began migrating east and brought with them numerous instruments. Our percussion instruments got their initial stages there, when the Crusades took back the drums that they found in the Middle East. From then on, evolution of percussion and drums kicked up a notch and assortments of percussion instruments came into being.
The function of percussion instruments within an orchestra or other musical ensemble varies depending on their design and size. Some instruments produce sounds which can carry melodic or harmonic roles, while others are strictly percussive in nature. Composers and arrangers usually assign the percussion and instruments in the lower register parts which make them work as a team to create a rhythmic basis for the composition.
In popular music, a rhythm section of bass and percussion is a staple of the form. While the majority of classical orchestral music is written with the primary role being given to stringed instruments, woodwinds and brass, tympanis also play a part in many compositions, largely as an accent. The rules have changed a little and listeners will find percussion claiming its share of the spotlight in some modern orchestral works.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, more percussion instruments (like the cymbals or triangles) came to being and frequently, again moderately and cautiously played in general. The massive uses of percussion instruments become more recurrent in the 20th century, on classical music.
However, percussion is an integral part of nearly every musical style aside from classical-period orchestral and chamber group works. Percussion instruments are the basis of military music, where they set the pace for marching troops to follow. In more contemporary forms such as jazz, the sound of the hi-hat, ride cymbal and brushed snare are nearly synonymous with the genre. Modern popular music genres including hip hop, rock, heavy metal and even country music would be nearly unimaginable sans the rhythmic framework provided by percussion instruments.
Because of the mixture and wide assortments of percussive instruments, it is not unusual to find large musical gathering composed wholly of percussion. Rhythm, harmony and melody are all evident and alive in these musical factions, and in live performances they are quite a spectacle to see. - 18424
As time moved on, so is the evolution of percussion instruments. In the early 10th century, it was known that most tribes in Africa use sorts of percussions such as djembe, macaras used in Latin America, karimbas in Asia and seed rattles in Australia for their recreational and worship rituals and sometimes used in sending signals.
Percussion instruments that are displayed in orchestra first came from Asia Minor. In the 15th century, people began migrating east and brought with them numerous instruments. Our percussion instruments got their initial stages there, when the Crusades took back the drums that they found in the Middle East. From then on, evolution of percussion and drums kicked up a notch and assortments of percussion instruments came into being.
The function of percussion instruments within an orchestra or other musical ensemble varies depending on their design and size. Some instruments produce sounds which can carry melodic or harmonic roles, while others are strictly percussive in nature. Composers and arrangers usually assign the percussion and instruments in the lower register parts which make them work as a team to create a rhythmic basis for the composition.
In popular music, a rhythm section of bass and percussion is a staple of the form. While the majority of classical orchestral music is written with the primary role being given to stringed instruments, woodwinds and brass, tympanis also play a part in many compositions, largely as an accent. The rules have changed a little and listeners will find percussion claiming its share of the spotlight in some modern orchestral works.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, more percussion instruments (like the cymbals or triangles) came to being and frequently, again moderately and cautiously played in general. The massive uses of percussion instruments become more recurrent in the 20th century, on classical music.
However, percussion is an integral part of nearly every musical style aside from classical-period orchestral and chamber group works. Percussion instruments are the basis of military music, where they set the pace for marching troops to follow. In more contemporary forms such as jazz, the sound of the hi-hat, ride cymbal and brushed snare are nearly synonymous with the genre. Modern popular music genres including hip hop, rock, heavy metal and even country music would be nearly unimaginable sans the rhythmic framework provided by percussion instruments.
Because of the mixture and wide assortments of percussive instruments, it is not unusual to find large musical gathering composed wholly of percussion. Rhythm, harmony and melody are all evident and alive in these musical factions, and in live performances they are quite a spectacle to see. - 18424
About the Author:
David Zed has been an authoritative individual on percussion instruments for nearly a decade.
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