percussion instrument, any musical instrument belonging to either of two groups, idiophones or membranophones. Idiophones are instruments whose own substance vibrates to produce …

percussion instrument, A musical instrument that is struck (or sometimes shaken or scraped) to produce sound.

Percussion instruments date from the most ancient times. Two rocks struck together to beat time, or pebbles rattled rhythmically in a gourd, are some of the ancient instruments still used today …

Nov 20, 2025 · Some 16th-century writers excluded certain instruments from this classification; the musical theorist Lodovico Zacconi went so far as to exclude all percussion instruments and …

Nov 20, 2025 · The principal types of such instruments, classified by the method of producing sound, are percussion, stringed, keyboard, wind, and electronic. Learn more about the …

Percussion instruments are musical instruments that generally are used to establish rhythm. Percussion instruments make a sound when they are struck, shaken, scraped, plucked, or …

Tuned bells strung together to form chimes were the most highly regarded percussion instruments of the Middle Ages. They appear frequently in manuscript illuminations from the 10th century …

In 1618 Praetorius depicted an instrument with 15 bars from 15 to 53 cm (6 to 21 inches) in length, tuned diatonically. It remained little exploited until the Flemish carillonneurs combined it …

Percussion instruments became a favourite source of colour in the 20th century, in both the concert and popular fields. Instruments from all over the world are now commonly available …

Rattles are the instruments par excellence of dancers, although they can also be worn on the leg simply to provide walking rhythm. Strung and gourd rattles are common, with the latter often …