What’s the Best Percussion Instrument for Me?
If you’re reading this, then it’s highly likely that you’re already interested in playing a percussion instrument. Since the massive range of percussive instruments on offer is almost overwhelming, how do you even start to pick out the best thing for you or the kids? And what are some of these instruments even used for? To answer these questions and more, we’ve put together this purpose-made Percussion Instrument Buyer’s Guide. If you can’t find the answer to your question here, feel free to contact us!
1. What is Percussion?
Djembes, cajons, cowbells, tambourines… all of this gives you the impression that all percussive instruments are rhythmic instruments. But since this isn’t entirely the case, how do you actually define a percussion instrument? A percussive instrument is any musical instruments that’s played with a stick or directly with the hands. So, there are also melodic percussion instruments, like xylophones, glockenspiels, kalimbas (thumb pianos), and even boomwhackers (long, tuned tubes that are struck at either end). Percussive instruments are also divided into two different groups: idiophones and membranophones.
Idiofones: instruments whose sound is produced by striking its wooden or metal parts. Examples of an idiophonic instrument include a xylophone, glockenspiel, wood block, or hand pan.
Membranophones: instruments whose sound is produced by striking a tightened skin (or head), like a frame drum, djembe or bongo. So, a metal percussion instrument can be membraphonic as long as it has a skin that is struck.
2. What’s the Difference Between Percussion & Drums?
It’s actually a matter of what you’re used to. In the classical music world, almost every orchestra will have a percussion section including timpani, cymbals, small drums and perhaps a marimba. In the pop music world, the term percussion is used to describe any percussive instrument that’s not part of a standard drum kit, like bongos, timbales, shakers, or cajons. In this Guide, we’ll mention a wide range of different kinds of percussion instruments, but if you want to know more about drums, see our Drum Kit Buyer’s Guide.
3. What Are the Most Popular Percussion Instruments?
The most popular and familiar percussive instruments include the djembe, cajon, bongos, congas, the well-known egg-shaker, and the much-loved cow bell. In popular music, you’re very likely to hear a lot of shakers, tambourines, cow bells and even bongos. In classical music, including orchestras and brass bands and so on, you’re more likely to hear chimes, castanets, wood blocks, triangles, and melodic percussion like xylophones, marimbas and vibraphones.
Djembes, Cajons, Bongos en Congas
Shakers, Cowbells, Tambourines
Chimes, Castanets, Wood Blocks en Triangles
Melodic Percussion
All Percussion Instruments
4. What’s a Good Percussive Instrument for Beginners, Children, or Schools?
Children/Schools: For children, percussion is the ideal introduction to playing any musical instruments. Playing a percussive instrument doesn’t just stimulate brain development but significantly boosts creativity. Fortunately, music education at primary schools has seen a renewed focus in recent years, and one of the most popular percussion instruments in the classroom are sets of tuned, colour-coded tubes of differing lengths that are struck at either end to make a sound. This aids the development of rhythmic and melodic listening skills, and teaches kids the benefits of working together. If your child is a little older and has serious musical ambitions, then a djembe, or cajon might be the better choice. After getting used to a smaller percussive instrument, children will tend to have an easier time transitioning to drum lessons.
Beginners: For beginners, an instrument like a djembe or cajon is also a great starting point.
Percussive Tubes
Djembes en Cajons
Cajon Buyer’s Guide
Djembe Buyer’s Guide
All Children’s Percussion
All Percussion Instruments
5. What’s the Best Percussive Instrument for Singers?
Many vocalists, including backing singers, like to have something to do with their hands while performing. A percussion instrument is a great way to add something to the song or arrangement and keep your hands occupied. Tip: If you’re not used to playing an instrument whilst singing, then don’t make things too complicated for yourself or use too many different instruments.
Popular percussive instruments for vocalists includes shakers, maracas, tambourines, cow bells, and guiros. All of these instruments suit pretty much any genre, will cost you very little performance energy to play, and are small, leaving you with complete freedom of movement.
Maracas
All Shakers
Tambourines
Cowbells
Guiros
6. I’m a Drummer. What Percussion Can I Expand My Drum Kit With?
It’s always great to expand the sound of a drum kit with some extra percussion. As long as you remember that you only have two hands and that some percussion instruments can’t be played with drum sticks, the percussion world is your oyster. Adding instruments that can be mounted on a stand is the best idea, like cow bells, wood blocks, tambourines, timbales, or chimes. Always make sure that what you do choose comes with a stand mount or some kind of holder so you can easily add it to your kit, and if you want to replace the entire kit with a percussive instrument, then there’s always the cajon. Cajons are perfect for smaller, acoustic gigs where a drum kit might get too loud.
7. Which Percussion Instrument Would Suit My Music Style Best?
If you’re playing ‘Flower of Scotland’ on a set of bagpipes, then you’re going to sound as authentically Scottish as it gets. The same kind of thing goes for percussion, since you wouldn’t necessarily play a set of Indian tabla to make classic Caribbean music. So, maybe be a little ‘style-conscious’ when picking your percussion, while remembering that really, there are no rules and whatever sounds right, is probably right...
African instruments include the djembe, udu, shekere, and kalimba. Middle-Eastern and North African instruments include the darbuka and doumbek. Like African djembes, they’re referred to as fixed drums, but originate from a different culture.
Middle and South-American instruments have a latin or Caribbean feel, like the conga, bongo, cajon, claves, or guiro.
Brazilian instruments are usually samba instruments, like surdos, agogos, repiniques, cuicas, ganzas, pandeiros, repiques, and rebolos.
Asian instruments include gongs, singing bowls, tablas, finger cymbals, and tuning forks.
Djembes, Udus, Shekeres en Kalimbas
Darbukas & Doumbeks
Congas, Bongos, Cajons, Claves en Guiros
Brazilian Percussion (Samba)
Gongs, Singing Bowls, Tablas, Finger Cymbals en Tuning Forks
8. What Kind of Percussion is Made for More Atmospheric Music, or Sound/Music Therapy?
Some percussive instruments are made for creating a specific atmosphere or sound effect. The range of these kinds of instrument can be quite broad. Maybe you’re already familiar with the little wooden frog guiro that makes a kind of ‘ribbiting’ sound when a wooden beater is stroked across its back, or a ‘sea’ or ‘ocean’ drum that produces rumbling wave-like sounds. Rain-sticks do exactly what you’d expect – sound like rain – and can be used as a sound effect or to create a soothing atmosphere. Many percussion instruments are used as part of music and sound therapy practice, including singing bowls, gongs, tuning forks, frame drums, tongue drums, hand pans, and chimes.
Frog Guiro, Sea Drums en Rainsticks
All Sound Effects
Singing Bowls, Gongs, Tuning Forks en Chimes
Hand Pans & Tongue Drums en Frame Drums
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Cajon Buyer’s Guide
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