The Percussion Family

Percussion instruments make sound when you hit, shake, scrape, or crash them together. They are the oldest instruments in history — ancient people discovered that hitting things makes great sounds!

The percussion family is huge and includes many different instruments:

Drums: Snare drum (sharp, snappy sound), bass drum (deep, booming), timpani (big kettle-shaped drums that can play different notes), bongo drums (small hand drums).

Shaken instruments: Maracas (filled with beads), tambourine (has little metal jingles), egg shakers.

Hit instruments: Triangle (a metal triangle you hit with a rod), cymbals (two metal discs you crash together), xylophone (wooden bars you hit with mallets), glockenspiel (metal bars that ring like bells).

Scraped instruments: Guiro (a ridged gourd you scrape with a stick), washboard.

Percussion instruments are the heartbeat of any band or orchestra. They keep the rhythm and add excitement!