What Instrument is that?

Percussion instruments are defined as musical instruments that are struck, shaken or vibrated to produce a sound.

The main categories that percussion instruments are further classified into include membranophones, idiophones and aerophones.

MEMBRANOPHONES create sounds when the skin stretched across its body is struck.

Examples of membranophones include the snare drum, bass drum, bongos, congas, drum kit, timpani, marching drums, and drums specific to different cultures such as the tabla and taiko.

IDIOPHONES

IDIOPHONES create a sound by the vibration of its body when struck, shaken, rubbed, or plucked (Girsberger, 1998).

Examples of idiophones include cymbals, bar percussion instruments, castanets, scrapers, and mbiras.




AEROPHONES create a sound when air is blown through them or across their opening, causing air to vibrate and produce a sound (Girsberger, 1998; Beck, 1995).
Examples of percussion aerophone instruments include whistles and bull roarers.


To read more about percussion instruments, click on the Instruments Tab above.