The cowbell is an iron or bronze percussion instrument that's popular in drum bands, rock and Latin-American styles. While a real cowbell has a clapper, the tuned musical instrument version doesn't and is played with drum sticks to add an enormous drive to the rhythm. This makes the cowbell a valuable percussive addition to any rock-focussed line-up.
Cowbell Sound and Playing Techniques
The cowbell has a distinct sound that's best described as dry and warm with a short sustain. Since size determines pitch, cowbells are available in various sizes. The bigger the bell, the lower pitched the sound. While playing a cowbell is as simple as striking it with a drumstick, the effect can be huge. Take legendary songs like 'Killing In The Name Of' by Rage Against The Machine and 'Don't Fear The Reaper' by Blue Oyster Cult for example. The agogo is another bell-style instrument that's directly struck to produce sound.
How to Mount Your Cowbell
Nowadays, cowbells are usually fitted with a clamping mechanism on the back so they can be easily added to the average drum kit. Back in the day, most cowbells had nothing but a handle and required a special clamp in order to mount it in place. Securing a cowbell to a kick drum can be done using an L-clamp or a purpose-made kick-drum cowbell mount. Some cowbells are also tuned chromatically, so you can play entire pieces with a set of cowbells and without any other instruments.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cowbells
What are cowbells used for?
Traditionally speaking, cowbells are used to herd cattle, hence the name. These cowbells have a clapper while the musical instrument doesn't unless it's an alpine bell (tuned cowbell).
