Pitched Percussion

Some percussion instruments can play different pitches. Timpani, also called kettledrums, change pitch when the player presses a foot pedal. The pedal tightens or loosens the rods that attach the head of the drum, raising and lowering the pitch. (Tightening a drum head makes its pitch go up.) The head, which is the part the player strikes, is usually made of plastic or calfskin. A piece by a French composer named Hector Berlioz calls for sixteen timpani to be played by ten different players.

The Tabla is a percussion instrument from India made up of two drums, side by side. Each drum is tuned to a different pitch. The player strikes the drums with the fingers of both hands.

Bongo drums from Latin America also consist of two drums side by side. They are different sizes, so one is pitched higher.

A large gong is also a round metal plate, usually made from a mixture of copper and tin. It is suspended from a stand by a cord that goes through two holes in the gong's edge. The player first warms up a large gong by hitting it gently around a circle outside the center of the gong. This starts the gong vibrating. Then the player may hit the center hard, creating a bone-rattling sound that keeps ringing, softer and softer, until the gong finally stops vibrating. Gongs used in symphony orchestras are tuned to different pitches. The pitch of a gong is determined by how thick or thin it is. Gongs of all sizes and pitches are used in the music of China , Thailand , and Vietnam , and in gamelan of Bali and Java.

An entire family of percussion instruments is made of tuned bars that are struck with sticks called mallets. Xylophones have bars made of wood, while metallophones have bars made of metal. Each bar must be a specific length to produce exactly the right pitch when struck. The marimba is a xylophone from Latin America . Each bar has a tube below it that acts as a resonator to increase the volume. A glockenspiel is a small, hand-held metallophone played in bands-and even carried in marching bands. A vibraphone is a "plugged-in" metallophone. An electric motor makes a disk spin under each bar (above each resonating tube). This adds vibrato to the sound. The vibraphone also has a damper pedal, to stop the ringing of the bars. Most advanced players of marimba or vibraphone use four mallets, holding two in each hand. This enables them to play chords or a melody.

Chimes , also called tubular bells are two rows of hollow steel tubes hung from a rectangular frame about six feet tall. Like xylophones and metallophones, each tube is tuned to a certain pitch, so some are longer (lower) and some are shorter (higher). The performer strikes the tubes near the top with wooden mallets covered in felt or leather.

Back to Top