Percussion musical instruments go back thousands of years, and their origin is practically parallel to that of humanity�s oldest civilizations. Some of the oldest instruments have survived to this day, although with slight modifications, and are used more and more in modern orchestras. Such is the case of drums and cymbals. Sound is produced by striking the material of which they are made: animal membranes and sheets of metal, hardwood or glass.

These days music with percussion instrument is popular the world over, especially among young people. Before deciding which style of music we want to play,  we have to choose an instrument for entering the world of percussion.

The best-known and most commonly used are:

- kettle drums: these are hollow half-spheres made or copper and covered with a membrane that can be tightly stretched or loose depending on the sound desired. Orchestras generally use two of them.

- xylophone: made of strips of wood. It is played by hitting them with sticks, which produces a dry, clean sound. It is not hard to play, and one of the most popular instruments in the percussion world.

- cymbals: these are thin metal disks, generally bronze, and slightly concave in the center. They are played by crashing one into the other. They are often played along with a bass drum.

- triangle: a steel rod bent into the shape of triangle, and hanging from a string. It is struck with a thinner rod. It makes a ringing sound.

- tam-tam: a large metal disk with a reinforced and folded edge. It is struck with a felt-tipped hammer. It is of Asian origin, and gives off a sound that is powerful, vibrant and long-lasting. It is ideal for creating a particular dramatic atmosphere.

 

But without a doubt the three percussion instruments par excellence, and which have the largest number of fans, are the drum, the tambourine and castanets.

 

- drum: this is an extremely old instrument that is still in use. It comes in different sizes and shapes, and is particularly common with jazz bands. Along with cymbals they form the drum set, one of the instruments that has grown the most in the 20th century and which gives the biggest rush of adrenaline when played. Any self-respecting musical group has a good drum component.

- tambourine: a wooden ring with a membrane stretched over it. In Spain, the small ones are called panderetas. They give off a sweet sound that accompanies other music well.

- castanets:  these are made with two thick pieces of wood joined by a cord and held in one hand. Open and closing them against each other produces the characteristic clicking sound that accompanies Spanish and Argentine dances, and the taratela of Naples, Italy.