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State autonomous professional educational institution Moscow cities

"College of Entrepreneurship No. 11"

COURSE WORK

On the topic of: Percussion instruments

Specialty: "Musical literature"

Performed:

Student Safronova Kristina Kirillovna

Supervisor:

Department teacher

Audiovisual technologies

Bocharova Tatyana Alexandrovna

Moscow 2015

1. PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS

Percussive musical instruments are a group of musical instruments, the sound of which is extracted by striking or shaking (swinging) [hammers, beaters, sticks, etc.] on a sounding body (membrane, metal, wood, etc.). The largest family of all musical instruments.

Percussion musical instruments appeared before all other musical instruments. IN ancient times Percussion instruments were used by the peoples of the African continent and the Middle East to accompany religious and warlike dances.

Nowadays, percussion instruments are very common, since not a single ensemble can do without them.

Percussion instruments include instruments in which sound is produced by striking. According to musical qualities, i.e. the ability to produce sounds of a certain pitch, all percussion instruments are divided into two types: with a certain pitch (timpani, xylophone) and with an indefinite pitch (drums, cymbals, etc.).

Depending on the type of sounding body (vibrator), percussion instruments are divided into webbed (timpani, drums, tambourine, etc.), plate (xylophones, vibraphones, bells, etc.), self-sounding (cymbals, triangles, castanets, etc.).

The volume of the sound of a percussion instrument is determined by the size of the sounding body and the amplitude of its vibrations, i.e., the force of the blow. In some instruments, sound enhancement is achieved by adding resonators. Sound timbre percussion instruments depends on many factors, the main ones being the shape of the sounding body, the material from which the instrument is made, and the method of impact.

1.1 Webbed percussion instruments

In webbed percussion instruments, the sounding body is a stretched membrane or membrane. These include timpani, drums, tambourine, etc. percussion bell sound drum

Timpani are an instrument with a certain pitch, having a metal body in the form of a cauldron, in the upper part of which a membrane made of well-dressed leather is stretched. Currently, a special membrane made of high-strength polymer materials is used as a membrane.

The membrane is attached to the body using a hoop and tension screws. These screws, located around the circumference, tighten or release the membrane. This is how the timpani is tuned: if the membrane is pulled, the tuning will be higher, and, conversely, if the membrane is released, the tuning will be lower. In order not to interfere with the free vibration of the membrane in the center of the boiler, there is a hole at the bottom for air movement.

The body of the timpani is made of copper, brass or aluminum, and they are mounted on a stand - a tripod.

In an orchestra, timpani are used in a set of two, three, four or more cauldrons of various sizes. The diameter of modern timpani is from 550 to 700 mm.

There are screw, mechanical and pedal timpani. The most common are pedal ones, since with one press of the pedal you can, without interrupting the game, tune the instrument to the desired key.

The sound volume of a timpani is approximately a fifth. The large timpani is tuned lower than all the others. The sound range of the instrument is from F of the large octave to F of the small octave. The middle timpani has a sound range from B large octave to F small octave. Small timpani - from D small octave to A small octave.

Drums are instruments with an indefinite pitch. There are small and large orchestral drums, small and large pop drums, tom tenor, tom bass, and bongos.

The large orchestral drum is a body cylindrical, covered on both sides with leather or plastic. The bass drum has a powerful, low and dull sound, which is produced with a wooden mallet with a ball-shaped tip made of felt or felt. Currently, instead of expensive parchment skin, polymer film has been used for drum membranes, which has higher strength indicators and better musical and acoustic properties.

The membranes of the drums are secured with two rims and tension screws located around the circumference of the instrument body. The drum body is made of sheet steel or plywood, lined with artistic celluloid. Dimensions 680x365 mm.

The large stage drum has a shape and design similar to the orchestra drum. Its dimensions are 580x350 mm.

The small orchestral drum has the appearance of a low cylinder, covered on both sides with leather or plastic. The membranes (membranes) are attached to the body using two rims and tightening screws.

To give the drum a specific sound, special strings or spirals (a snare) are stretched over the lower membrane, which are activated using a reset mechanism.

The use of synthetic membranes in drums has significantly improved their musical and acoustic capabilities, operational reliability, service life and marketable condition. The dimensions of the small orchestra drum are 340x170 mm.

Small orchestral drums are included in military brass bands and are also used in symphony orchestras.

The small pop drum has the same structure as the orchestra drum. Its dimensions are 356x118 mm.

The tom-tom-tenor drum and the tom-tom-bass drum do not differ in design and are used in pop drum sets. The tom-tenor drum is attached with a bracket to the bass drum, the tom-tom-bass drum is installed on the floor on a special stand.

Bongs are small drums with leather or plastic stretched on one side. They are part of the variety drum kit. The bongs are connected to each other by adapters.

A tambourine is a hoop (side) with leather or plastic stretched on one side. Special slots are made in the body of the hoop, in which brass plates are fixed, looking like small orchestral plates. Sometimes, inside the hoop, small bells and rings are strung on stretched strings or spirals. All this tinkles at the slightest touch of the instrument, creating a unique sound. The membrane is struck with the ends of the fingers or the base of the palm of the right hand.

Tambourines are used for rhythmic accompaniment of dances and songs. In the East, where the art of playing the tambourine has reached virtuoso mastery, solo playing on this instrument is common. The Azerbaijani tambourine is called def, dyaf or gaval, the Armenian - daf or haval, the Georgian - dayra, the Uzbek and Tajik - doira.

1.2 Plate percussion instruments

Plate percussion instruments with a certain pitch include the xylophone, metallophone, marim-baphone (marimba), vibraphone, bells, and bells.

Xylophone -- is a set of wooden blocks different sizes, corresponding to sounds of different pitches. The blocks are made from rosewood, maple, walnut, and spruce. They are arranged parallel in four rows in order of the chromatic scale. The blocks are attached to strong laces and separated by springs. The cord passes through the holes in the blocks. To play, the xylophone is laid out on a small table on rubber pads located along the cords of the instrument.

The xylophone is played with two wooden sticks with a thick end. The xylophone is used both for solo playing and in orchestra.

The range of the xylophone is from the small octave to the fourth octave.

Metallophones are similar to xylophones, only the sound plates are made of metal (brass or bronze).

Marimbaphones (marimba) are a percussion musical instrument, the sounding elements of which are wooden plates, and tubular metal resonators are installed on it to enhance the sound.

Marimba has a soft, rich timbre, has a sound range of four octaves: from a note to a small octave to a note to a fourth octave.

The playing plates are made of rosewood wood, which ensures high musical and acoustic properties of the instrument. The plates are located on the frame in two rows. The first row contains plates of basic tones, the second row contains plates of halftones. Resonators (metal tubes with plugs) installed on the frame in two rows are tuned to the sound frequency of the corresponding plates.

The main components of the marimba are mounted on a support trolley with wheels, the frame of which is made of aluminum, which ensures minimal weight and sufficient strength.

Marimba can be used by both professional musicians and for educational purposes.

The vibraphone is a set of chromatically tuned aluminum plates arranged in two rows, similar to a piano keyboard. The plates are installed on a high frame (table) and fastened with laces. Under each plate in the center there are cylindrical resonators of the appropriate size. Through all the resonators in the upper part there are axes on which the fan impellers - fans - are mounted.

A portable silent electric motor is mounted on the side of the frame, which evenly rotates the impellers throughout the entire playing of the instrument. In this way vibration is achieved. The instrument has a damping device connected to a pedal under the stand to dampen the sound with your foot. The vibraphone is played with two, three, sometimes four or even longer sticks with rubber balls at the ends.

The range of the vibraphone is from F of the small octave to F of the third octave or from C to the first octave to A of the third octave.

Vibraphone is used in symphony orchestra, but more often in pop orchestra or as a solo instrument.

Bells are a set of percussion instruments that are used in opera and symphony orchestras to imitate the ringing of bells. The bell consists of a set of 12 to 18 cylindrical pipes, tuned chromatically.

Pipes are usually nickel-plated brass or chrome-plated steel with a diameter of 25-38 mm. They are suspended in a frame-rack about 2 m high. The sound is produced by hitting the pipes with a wooden hammer. The bells are equipped with a pedal-damper device to dampen the sound. The range of bells is 1-11/2 octaves, usually from F to the major octave.

Bells are a percussion musical instrument that consists of 23-25 ​​chromatically tuned metal plates placed in a flat box in two rows in steps. The top row corresponds to black and the bottom row to white piano keys.

The sound range of the bells is equal to two octaves: from the note up to the first octave to the note up to the third octave and depends on the number of records.

1.3 Self-sounding percussion instruments

Self-sounding percussion instruments include: cymbals, triangles, tom-toms, castanets, maracas, rattles, etc.

Plates are metal discs made of brass or nickel silver. The disks of the cymbals are given a somewhat spherical shape, and leather straps are attached to the center.

When the cymbals hit each other, a long ringing sound is produced. Sometimes one cymbal is used and the sound is produced by striking a stick or metal brush. They produce orchestral cymbals, Charleston cymbals, and gong cymbals. The cymbals sound sharply and ringingly.

An orchestra triangle is a steel rod, which is given an open triangular shape. When playing, the triangle is hung freely and struck with a metal stick, performing various rhythmic patterns.

The sound of the triangle is bright and ringing. The triangle is used in various orchestras and ensembles. Orchestral triangles with two steel sticks are produced.

A tam-tam or gong is a bronze disk with curved edges, the center of which is struck with a felt-tipped mallet, the sound of the gong is deep, thick and dark, reaching full strength not immediately after the impact, but gradually.

Castanets - in Spain are folk instrument. Castanets have the shape of shells, facing each other with a concave (spherical) side and connected with a cord. They are made from hardwood and plastic. Double and single castanets are produced.

Maracas are balls made of wood or plastic filled with a small number of small pieces of metal (shot), the outside of the maracas is colorfully decorated. For ease of holding while playing, they are equipped with a handle.

Shaking the maracas produces various rhythmic patterns.

Maracas are used in orchestras, but more often in pop ensembles.

Rattles are sets of small plates mounted on a wooden plate.

1.4 Variety ensemble drum kit

To fully study a group of percussion musical instruments, a specialist involved in their implementation needs to know the composition of drum sets (sets). The most common composition of drum kits is as follows: big drum, snare drum, double Charleston cymbal (hey-hat), single large cymbal, single small cymbal, bongos, tom-tom bass, tom-tom tenor, tom-tom alto.

A large drum is placed on the floor directly in front of the performer; it has support legs for stability. Tom-tom tenor and tom-tom alto drums can be mounted on top of the drum using brackets; in addition, a stand for an orchestral cymbal is provided on the bass drum. The brackets that secure the tom-tom tenor and tom-tom alto on the bass drum regulate their height.

An integral part of the bass drum is a mechanical pedal, with the help of which the performer extracts sound from the drum.

The drum set must include a small pop drum, which is mounted on a special stand with three clamps: two folding and one retractable. The stand is installed on the floor; it is a stand equipped with a locking device for fixing in a given position and adjusting the tilt of the snare drum.

The snare drum has a release device as well as a muffler, which are used to adjust the timbre of the sound.

A drum set can simultaneously include several different sized tom-tom drums, tom-tom altos and tom-tom tenors. The tom-tom bass is installed on the right side of the performer and has legs with which you can adjust the height of the instrument.

The bong drums included in the drum kit are placed on a separate stand.

The drum set also includes orchestral cymbals with a stand, a mechanical Charleston cymbal stand, and a chair.

Accompanying instruments of the drum set are maracas, castanets, triangles, as well as other noise instruments.

Spare parts and accessories for percussion instruments

Spare parts and accessories for percussion instruments include: snare drum stands, orchestra cymbal stands, mechanical pedal stand for orchestral Charleston cymbals, mechanical beater for bass drum, timpani sticks, snare drum sticks, pop drum sticks, orchestra brushes, bass drum beaters, bass drum leather, straps, cases.

In percussion musical instruments, sound is produced by striking a device or individual parts of the instrument against each other.

Percussion instruments are divided into membrane, plate, and self-sounding.

Membranous instruments include instruments in which the source of sound is a stretched membrane (timpani, drums), the sound is produced by striking the membrane with some device (for example, a mallet). In plate instruments (xylophones, etc.), wooden or metal plates or bars are used as the sounding body.

In self-sounding instruments (cymbals, castanets, etc.), the source of sound is the instrument itself or its body.

Percussion musical instruments are instruments whose sounding bodies are excited by striking or shaking.

According to the source of sound, percussion instruments are divided into:

* plate - in them the source of sound is wooden and metal plates, bars or tubes, which the musician strikes with sticks (xylophone, metallophone, bells);

* membranous - a stretched membrane sounds in them - a membrane (timpani, drum, tambourine, etc.). Timpani are a set of several metal cauldrons of different sizes, covered with a leather membrane on top. The tension of the membrane can be changed with a special device, and the pitch of the sounds produced by the mallet changes;

* self-sounding - in these instruments the source of sound is the body itself (cymbals, triangles, castanets, maracas)

2. THE ROLE OF PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS IN A MODERN ORCHESTRA

The fourth unit of the modern symphony orchestra is percussion instruments. They bear no resemblance to the human voice and say nothing to his inner senses in a language he understands. Their measured and more or less definite sounds, their tinkling and crackling, have rather a “rhythmic” meaning.

Their melodic duties are extremely limited, and their entire being is deeply rooted in the nature of dance in the broadest meaning of this concept. It is as such that some of the percussion instruments were used in ancient times and were widely used not only by the peoples of the Mediterranean and Asian East, but also operated, apparently, among all the so-called “primitive peoples” in general.

Some tinkling and ringing percussion instruments were used in Ancient Greece And Ancient Rome as instruments accompanying dances and dances, but not a single percussion instrument from the family of drums was allowed by them into the field of military music. These instruments had a particularly wide application in the life of ancient Jews and Arabs, where they performed not only civil duties, but also military ones.

On the contrary, among the peoples of modern Europe in military music percussion instruments accepted various types, where they have very important. However, the melodic poverty of percussion instruments did not prevent them from penetrating the opera, ballet and symphony orchestras, where they no longer occupy the last place.

However, in art music European peoples There was a time when access to these instruments was almost closed to the orchestra and, with the exception of timpani, they made their way into symphonic music through the opera and ballet orchestra, or, as they would say now, through the “dramatic music” orchestra.

In history " cultural life» of humanity, percussion instruments arose earlier than all other musical instruments in general. However, this did not prevent percussion instruments from being relegated to the background of the orchestra at the time of its emergence and the first steps of its development. And this is all the more surprising since it is still impossible to deny the enormous “aesthetic” significance of percussion instruments in art music.

The history of percussion instruments is not very exciting. All those “instruments for producing measured noise” that everyone used primitive peoples to accompany their warlike and religious dances, at first they did not go further than simple tablets and wretched drums. And only much later among many tribes of Central Africa and among some peoples Far East instruments appeared that served as worthy examples for the creation of more modern European percussion instruments, which were already accepted everywhere.

With regard to musical qualities, all percussion instruments are very simply and naturally divided into two types or genera. Some produce a sound of a certain pitch and therefore quite naturally enter into the harmonic and melodic basis of the work, while others, capable of producing a more or less pleasant or characteristic noise, perform duties that are purely rhythmic and decorative in the broadest sense of the word. In addition, it takes part in the construction of percussion instruments. various material and, in accordance with this feature, they can be divided into instruments “with skin” or “webbed”, and “self-sounding”, in the construction of which various types and varieties of metal, wood and Lately- glass. Kurt Sachs, assigning them a not very successful and extremely ugly to the ear definition - idiophones, obviously loses sight of what they are. concept in the meaning of “peculiar-sounding” can, in essence, be on equal footing: applied to anyone musical instrument or their family.

In an orchestral score, the community of percussion instruments is usually placed in the very middle, between the brass and bowed instruments. With the participation of harp, piano, celesta and all other plucked strings or keyboard instruments, the drums always retain their place and are then located immediately after the brass, giving way after themselves to all the “decorating” or “random” voices of the orchestra.

The absurd way of writing percussion instruments below the bowed quintet must be resolutely condemned as very inconvenient, in no way justifiable and extremely ugly. It initially appeared in ancient scores, then acquired a more isolated position in the depths of brass band and, having an insignificant justification, now, however, violated and completely overcome, it was accepted by some composers who wanted to attract attention to themselves with at least something and at any cost.

But the worst thing is that this strange innovation turned out to be all the stronger and more dangerous because some publishing houses met such composers halfway and published their scores according to the “new model”. Fortunately, there were not so many such “publishing gems” and they were mostly weak in their artistic merits works, were drowned in an abundance of truly excellent examples of diverse creative heritage of all peoples.

The only place where the indicated method of presentation now reigns percussion instruments at the very bottom of the score - there is variety ensemble. But there it is generally customary to arrange all the instruments differently, guided only by the altitude of the instruments involved. In those distant times, when there were only timpani in the orchestra, it was customary to place them above all other instruments, obviously believing that such a presentation was more convenient. But in those years the score was composed in general in a somewhat unusual way, which now there is no need to remember. We must agree that the modern method of presenting a score is quite simple and convenient, and therefore there is no point in engaging in all sorts of fabrications, which have just been discussed in detail.

As already mentioned, all percussion instruments are divided into instruments with a certain pitch and instruments without a certain pitch. Currently, this distinction is sometimes disputed, although all the proposals made in in this direction, come down rather to confusion and deliberately emphasizing the essence of this extremely clear and simple position, in which there is not even a direct need to remember every time the self-evident concept of pitch.

In an orchestra, instruments “with a certain sound” mean, first of all, a five-line stave or staff, and instruments “with an indefinite sound” - a conventional method of musical notation - a “hook” or “thread”, that is, one single ruler on which only the required rhythmic pattern is depicted with note heads. This transformation, made very opportunely, was intended to gain space and, with a significant number of percussion instruments, to simplify their presentation.

However, not so long ago, for all percussion instruments “without a specific sound”, ordinary staves with the keys Sol and Fa were adopted, and with the conditional placement of note heads between the emphases. The inconvenience of such a recording was immediately felt as soon as the number percussion instruments increased to “astronomical limits”, and the composers themselves who used this method of presentation got lost in the insufficiently developed order of their outline.

But what brought about the combination of keys and threads is very difficult to say. Most likely, the matter began with a typo, which then attracted the attention of some composers who began to exhibit treble clef on a string Designed for relatively high percussion instruments, and the Fa key for relatively low ones.

Is it necessary to talk here about the nonsense and complete inconsistency of such a presentation? As far as is known, keys on a string were first encountered in the scores of Anton Rubinstein, published in Germany, which were undoubted typos, and much later were revived in the scores of the Flemish composer Arthur Meulemans (1884-?), who adopted the rule of supplying the middle thread with the key Sol, and the very low - key Fa. This presentation looks especially wild in those cases when, between two threads not marked with keys, one appears with the key Fa. In this sense, the Belgian composer Francis de Bourguignon (1890-?) turned out to be more consistent, providing a key for each thread participating in the score.

French publishing houses adopted a special “key” for percussion instruments in the form of two vertical thick bars resembling Latin letter“H” and crossing out the thread at the accolade itself. There is nothing to object to such an event, as long as it ultimately leads to “some external completeness of the orchestral score in general.

However, it would be quite fair to recognize all these eccentricities as equal to zero in the face of the “disorder” that still exists to this day in the presentation of percussion instruments. Rimsky-Korsakov also expressed the idea that all self-sounding instruments or, as he calls them, “percussion and ringing without a specific sound,” can be considered as high ones - a triangle, castanets, bells, medium ones - a tambourine, rods, a snare drum, cymbals, and like low-bass drum and tam-tam, “meaning by this their ability to combine with the corresponding areas of the orchestral scale in instruments with sounds of a certain pitch.” Leaving aside some details, due to which “rods” should be excluded from the composition of percussion instruments, as “an accessory of percussion instruments”, but not a percussion instrument in own meaning, Rimsky-Korsakov's observation remains in full force to this day.

Starting from this assumption and supplementing it with all the latest percussion instruments, it would be considered most reasonable to arrange all percussion instruments in order of their pitch and write “high” above “medium”, and “medium” above “low”. However, there is no unanimity among composers and the presentation of percussion instruments is more than arbitrary.

This situation can be explained to a lesser extent only by the accidental participation of percussion instruments, and to a greater extent by the complete neglect of the composers themselves and the bad habits they have acquired or erroneous premises. The only justification for such an “instrumental hodgepodge” can be the desire to present the entire available composition of the percussion instruments acting in this case, in the order of parts, when strictly defined instruments are assigned to each performer. To nitpick the words, such a presentation makes more sense in the parts of the drummers themselves, and in the score it is useful only if it is maintained with “pedantic precision”.

Returning to the issue of presentation of percussion instruments, the desire of many composers, including quite prominent ones, to place the cymbals and bass drum immediately after the timpani, and the triangle, bells and xylophone - below the latter, must be considered unsuccessful. There are, of course, no sufficient grounds for such a solution to the problem, and all this can be attributed to an unjustified desire to be “original.” The simplest and most natural, and in light of the exorbitant number of percussion instruments operating in a modern orchestra, the most reasonable can be considered the placement of all percussion instruments using a staff above those using a string.

In each individual association it would, of course, be desirable to adhere to the views of Rimsky-Korsakov and place the votes in accordance with their relative heights. For these reasons, after the timpani, which hold their primacy according to the “original tradition,” it would be possible to place bells, vibraphone and tubaphone above the xylophone and marimba. In instruments without a specific sound, this distribution will be somewhat more complicated due to large quantity participants, but even in this case, nothing will prevent the composer from adhering to known rules, about which much has already been said above.

One must think that determining the relative pitch of a self-sounding instrument, in general, does not cause misunderstandings, and since this is so, it does not cause any; difficulties for its implementation. Only bells are usually placed below all percussion instruments, since their part is most often content with the conventional outline of notes and their rhythmic duration, and not with a full “ringing”, as is usually done in the corresponding recordings. A batch of “Italian” or “Japanese” bells that look like long ones metal pipes, requires a regular five-line stave, placed below all other "certain sound" instruments. Consequently, the bells here also serve as a frame for the staves, united by one common feature“certainty” and “uncertainty” sound. Otherwise, there are no peculiarities in the recording of percussion instruments, and if for some reason they appear, they will be mentioned in the appropriate place.

In a modern symphony orchestra, percussion instruments serve only two purposes: rhythmic, to maintain clarity and sharpness of movement, and decorative in the broadest sense, when the author, through the use of percussion instruments, contributes to the creation of enchanting sound pictures or “moods” full of excitement, fervor or impetuosity.

From what has been said, of course, it is clear that percussion instruments must be used with great care, taste and moderation. The varied sonority of percussion instruments can quickly tire the attention of listeners, and therefore the author must always remember what his percussion instruments are doing. Only timpani alone enjoy certain advantages, but even these can be negated by excessive excesses.

The classics paid a lot of attention to percussion instruments, but never elevated them to the level of the only figures in the orchestra. If something similar happened, the performance of the drums was most often limited to only a few beats of a bar or was content with an extremely insignificant duration of the entire formation.

From Russian musicians with drums alone, as an introduction to a very rich and expressive music, used in the Spanish Capriccio by Rimsky-Korsakov, but most often solo percussion instruments are found in “dramatic music” or in ballet, when the author wants to create a particularly sharp, unusual or “unprecedented sensation.”

This is exactly what Sergei Prokofiev did in musical performance Egyptian nights. Here, the sonority of percussion instruments accompanies the scene of commotion in the house of Cleopatra’s father, to which the author prefaces the title “Anxiety.” Victor Oransky (1899-1953) also did not refuse the services of percussion instruments. He had the opportunity to use this amazing sonority in the ballet Three Fat Men, where he entrusted the accompaniment of the sharp rhythmic outline of the “eccentric dance” to the percussion alone.

Finally, quite recently, the services of some percussion instruments, used in an intricate sequence of “dynamic<оттенков», воспользовался также и Глиер в одном небольшом отрывке новой постановки балета Красный мак. Но как уже ясно из всего сказанного такое толкование ударных явилось уже в полном смысле слова достоянием современности, когда композиторы, руководимые какими-нибудь «особыми» соображениями, заставляли оркестр умолкнуть, чтобы дать полный простор «ударному царству».

The French, laughing at such an “artistic revelation”, rather venomously ask whether this is where the new French word bruisme arose, as a derivative of brui - “noise”. There is no equivalent concept in the Russian language, but the Orchestras themselves have already taken care of a new name for such music, which they rather angrily dubbed the definition of “percussion thresher”. In one of his early symphonic works, Alexander Cherepnin dedicated an entire part to such an “ensemble.” There was already an opportunity to talk a little about this work about the connection with the use of a bowed quintet as percussion instruments, and therefore there is no urgent need to return to it again. Shostakovich also paid tribute to the unfortunate “shock” delusion in those days when his creative worldview was not yet sufficiently stable and mature.

The “onomatopoeic” side of the matter stands completely aside, when the author, with the smallest number of actual percussion instruments actually employed, has a desire, or more precisely, an artistic need to create only a “feeling of percussion” in all music, intended mainly for strings and woodwind instruments.

One such example, extremely witty, funny and sounds excellent “in an orchestra”, if the composition of the instruments participating in it can generally be defined by this very concept, is found in Oransky’s ballet Three Fat Men and is called “Patrol”.

But the most outrageous example of musical formalism remains the work written by Edgard Varèse (1885-?). It is designed for thirteen performers, intended for two combinations of percussion instruments and called by the author lonisation, which means “Saturation”. This “work” involves only sharp-sounding percussion instruments and piano.

However, this latter is also used as a “percussion instrument” and the performer acts on it according to the newest “American method” of Henry Kawel (1897-?), who, as is known, proposed to play only with his elbows, spread across the entire width of the keyboard.

According to the press of that time - and this happened in the thirties of the current century - Parisian listeners, brought to a state of wild frenzy by this work, urgently demanded its repetition, which was immediately carried out. Without saying a bad word, the history of the modern orchestra has not yet seen a second such out-of-the-ordinary “case.”

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training manual, added 01/31/2009


Criteria and signs of rational classification of musical instruments, ways of playing them. Systematization of performing and musical-historical classes of instruments; types of vibrators according to Hornbostel-Sachs. Classifications by P. Zimin and A. Modra.

Music surrounds us since childhood. And then we have the first musical instruments. Do you remember your first drum or tambourine? And what about the shiny metallophone, the records of which had to be struck with a wooden stick? What about pipes with holes in the side? With some skill it was even possible to play simple melodies on them.

Toy instruments are the first step into the world of real music. Now you can buy a variety of musical toys: from simple drums and harmonicas to almost real pianos and synthesizers. Do you think these are just toys? Not at all: in the preparatory classes of music schools, entire noise orchestras are made from such toys, in which kids selflessly blow pipes, knock on drums and tambourines, spur the rhythm with maracas and play their first songs on the xylophone... And this is their first real step into the world music.

Types of musical instruments

The world of music has its own order and classification. Tools are divided into large groups: strings, keyboards, percussion, winds, and also reed. Which of them appeared earlier and which later is now difficult to say for sure. But already ancient people who shot from a bow noticed that a drawn bowstring sounds, reed tubes, when blown into them, make whistling sounds, and it is convenient to beat the rhythm on any surface with all available means. These objects became the ancestors of string, wind and percussion instruments, already known in Ancient Greece. Reed ones appeared just as long ago, but keyboards were invented a little later. Let's look at these main groups.

Brass

In wind instruments, sound is produced by vibrations of a column of air enclosed inside a tube. The greater the volume of air, the lower the sound it produces.

Wind instruments are divided into two large groups: wooden And copper. Wooden - flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, alpine horn... - are a straight tube with side holes. By closing or opening the holes with their fingers, the musician can shorten the column of air and change the pitch of the sound. Modern instruments are often made from materials other than wood, but are traditionally called wooden.

Copper wind instruments set the tone for any orchestra, from brass to symphony. Trumpet, horn, trombone, tuba, helicon, a whole family of saxhorns (baritone, tenor, alto) are typical representatives of this loudest group of instruments. Later, the saxophone appeared - the king of jazz.

The pitch of the sound in brass instruments changes due to the force of the air blown and the position of the lips. Without additional valves, such a pipe can produce only a limited number of sounds - a natural scale. To expand the range of sound and the ability to reach all sounds, a system of valves was invented - valves that change the height of the air column (like side holes on wooden ones). Copper pipes that are too long, unlike wooden ones, can be rolled into a more compact shape. Horn, tuba, helicon are examples of rolled pipes.

Strings

The bow string can be considered a prototype of string instruments - one of the most important groups of any orchestra. The sound here is produced by a vibrating string. To amplify the sound, strings began to be pulled over a hollow body - this is how the lute and mandolin, cymbals, harp were born... and the guitar that we know well.

The string group is divided into two main subgroups: bowed And plucked tools. Bowed violins include all types of violins: violins, violas, cellos and huge double basses. The sound from them is extracted with a bow, which is drawn along the stretched strings. But for plucked bows, a bow is not needed: the musician plucks the string with his fingers, causing it to vibrate. Guitar, balalaika, lute are plucked instruments. Just like the beautiful harp, which makes such gentle cooing sounds. But is the double bass a bowed or plucked instrument? Formally, it belongs to the bowed instrument, but often, especially in jazz, it is played with plucked strings.

Keyboards

If the fingers striking the strings are replaced with hammers, and the hammers are set in motion using keys, the result will be keyboards tools. The first keyboards - clavichords and harpsichords- appeared in the Middle Ages. They sounded quite quietly, but very tender and romantic. And at the beginning of the 18th century they invented piano- an instrument that could be played both loudly (forte) and quietly (piano). The long name is usually shortened to the more familiar "piano". The older brother of the piano - what's up, the brother is the king! - that’s what it’s called: piano. This is no longer an instrument for small apartments, but for concert halls.

The keyboard includes the largest one - and one of the most ancient! - musical instruments: organ. This is no longer a percussion keyboard, like a piano and grand piano, but keyboard and wind instrument: not the musician's lungs, but a blowing machine that creates air flow into a system of tubes. This huge system is controlled by a complex control panel, which has everything: from a manual (that is, manual) keyboard to pedals and register switches. And how could it be otherwise: organs consist of tens of thousands of individual tubes of various sizes! But their range is enormous: each tube can sound only one note, but when there are thousands of them...

Drums

The oldest musical instruments were drums. It was the tapping of rhythm that was the first prehistoric music. The sound can be produced by a stretched membrane (drum, tambourine, oriental darbuka...) or the body of the instrument itself: triangles, cymbals, gongs, castanets and other knockers and rattles. A special group consists of percussion instruments that produce a sound of a certain pitch: timpani, bells, xylophones. You can already play a melody on them. Percussion ensembles consisting only of percussion instruments stage entire concerts!

Reed

Is there any other way to extract sound? Can. If one end of a plate made of wood or metal is fixed, and the other is left free and forced to vibrate, then we get the simplest reed - the basis of reed instruments. If there is only one tongue, we get Jew's harp. Reeds include harmonicas, button accordions, accordions and their miniature model - harmonica.

harmonica

You can see keys on the button accordion and accordion, so they are considered both keyboard and reed. Some wind instruments are also reeded: for example, in the already familiar clarinet and bassoon, the reed is hidden inside the pipe. Therefore, the division of tools into these types is arbitrary: there are many tools mixed type.

In the 20th century, the friendly musical family was replenished with another large family: electronic instruments. The sound in them is created artificially using electronic circuits, and the first example was the legendary theremin, created back in 1919. Electronic synthesizers can imitate the sound of any instrument and even... play themselves. If, of course, someone draws up a program. :)

Dividing instruments into these groups is just one way of classification. There are many others: for example, the Chinese grouped tools depending on the material from which they were made: wood, metal, silk and even stone... Methods of classification are not so important. It is much more important to be able to recognize instruments both by appearance and sound. This is what we will learn.

Percussion instruments are a category of musical equipment in which sound is produced by striking or rocking a sounding body. Sticks, mallets, and hammers are used as accessories for striking. Percussion musical instruments have different designs and types of surfaces. These can be metal or wooden elements, as well as special membranes.

Depending on the purpose, you can buy percussion instruments of different categories. There are options with the pitch of a certain parameter. They are tuned to the provided notes of the sound series. These are xylophones, timpani, bell or vibraphones.

Models with a pitch of an undefined parameter do not allow tuning to a specific sound. These include the percussion instrument drum, tam-tam, castanets, triangles, as well as cymbals and tambourines.

It is worth buying percussion musical instruments to develop a sense of rhythm and improve your professional qualities. There are three types of instruments according to the parameters of the sounding body: plate type, membranous, and self-sounding models. In addition, such instruments are divided into two types based on sound production. These are membranophones (where the stretched membrane is the sounding element) and idiophones (where the entire instrument is the sounding element). Percussion instruments also include strings - piano and dulcimer.

The tonal characteristics of drums may differ depending on the shape, material and method of striking the sounding element. If we talk about the volume of the tones of this group of instruments, then it depends on the force of the blow, thanks to which it is possible to regulate the amplitude of vibrations of the sounding element and the dimensions of this element. Some models are equipped with resonators to enhance sound power.

They were used in ancient times by the peoples of the Middle East and the African continent to accompany warlike and religious dances and dances. Percussion instruments, the names of which are numerous, as are their types, are very common these days; not a single ensemble can do without them. These include those in which sound is produced by striking.

Classification

According to their musical qualities, that is, the possibility of extracting sounds of a particular pitch, all types of percussion instruments, the names of which are presented in this article, can be divided into 2 groups: with an indefinite pitch (cymbals, drums, etc.) and with a certain pitch ( xylophone, timpani). They are also divided depending on the type of vibrator (sounding body) into self-sounding (castanets, triangles, cymbals, etc.), plate (bells, vibraphones, xylophones, etc.) and membranous (tambourine, drums, timpani, etc.).

Now you know what types of percussion instruments there are. Let's say a few words about what determines the timbre and volume of their sound.

What determines the volume and timbre of sound?

The volume of their sound is determined by the amplitude of vibrations of the sounding body, that is, the force of the impact, as well as the size of the sounding body. Strengthening the sound in some instruments is achieved by adding resonators. The timbre that certain types of percussion instruments have depends on many factors. The main ones are the method of impact, the material from which the instrument is made, and the shape of the sounding body.

Webbed percussion instruments

The sounding body in them is a membrane or a stretched membrane. These include percussion instruments, the names of which are tambourine, drums, timpani, etc.

Timpani

Timpani is an instrument with a certain pitch, which has a metal body in the shape of a cauldron. A membrane made of tanned leather is stretched across the top of this cauldron. A special membrane made of polymer materials is currently used as a membrane. It is secured to the body using tension screws and a hoop. Screws located around the circumference loosen or tighten it. The timpani percussion instrument is tuned as follows: if you pull the membrane, the tuning becomes higher, and if you lower it, it will be lower. In order not to interfere with the membrane vibrating freely, there is a hole at the bottom for air movement. The body of this instrument is made of brass, copper or aluminum. Timpani are mounted on a tripod - a special stand.

This instrument is used in an orchestra in a set of 2, 3, 4 or more cauldrons of different sizes. The diameter of modern timpani ranges from 550 to 700 mm. There are the following types: pedal, mechanical and screw. Pedal instruments are the most common, since you can adjust the instrument to the required key without interrupting the game by pressing the pedal. Timpani have a sound volume approximately equal to a fifth. A large timpani is tuned below all the others.

Tulumbas

Tulumbas is an ancient percussion instrument (a type of timpani). It served in the 17th-18th centuries in the army, where it was used to give alarm signals. The shape is a pot-shaped resonator. This ancient percussion instrument (a type of timpani) can be made of metal, clay or wood. The top is covered with leather. This structure is hit with wooden bats. A dull sound is produced, somewhat reminiscent of a cannon shot.

Drums

We continue to describe the percussion instruments whose names were listed at the beginning of the article. Drums have an indefinite pitch. These include various percussion instruments. The names listed below all refer to reels (various varieties). There are large and small orchestral drums, large and small pop drums, as well as bongos, tom bass and tom tenor.

A large orchestral drum has a cylindrical body, covered on both sides with plastic or leather. It is characterized by a dull, low, powerful sound produced by a wooden mallet with a tip in the form of a felt or felt ball. Today, polymer film has begun to be used for drum membranes instead of parchment skin. It has better musical and acoustic properties and higher strength. The drum membranes are secured with tension screws and two rims. The body of this instrument is made of sheet steel and lined with artistic celluloid. It has dimensions 680x365 mm. The large stage drum has a design and shape similar to the orchestra drum. Its dimensions are 580x350 mm.

The small orchestral drum is a low cylinder, covered on both sides with plastic or leather. The membranes (membranes) are attached to the body using tightening screws and two rims. To give the instrument a specific sound, special strings or snares (spirals) are stretched over the lower membrane. They are driven by a reset mechanism. The use of synthetic membranes in drums has significantly improved operational reliability, musical and acoustic characteristics, presentation and service life. The small orchestra drum has dimensions of 340x170 mm. It is included in symphony and military brass bands. The small pop drum has a structure similar to the orchestra drum. Its dimensions are 356x118 mm.

Tom-tom-bass and tom-tom-tenor drums are no different in design. They are used in pop drum kits. The tenor tom is attached to the bass drum using a bracket. The tom-tom-bass is installed on a special stand on the floor.

Bongs are small drums with plastic or leather stretched on one side. They are included in the percussion stage set. The bongs are connected to each other by adapters.

As you can see, many percussion instruments are related to drums. The names listed above can be supplemented by including some less popular varieties.

Tambourine

A tambourine is a shell (hoop) with plastic or leather stretched on one side. Special slots are made in the body of the hoop. They have brass plates attached to them; they look like small orchestra cymbals. Inside the hoop, sometimes small rings and bells are strung on a spiral or on stretched strings. All this tinkles at the slightest touch of the tambourine, creating a special sound. The membrane is struck with the palm of the right hand (its base) or with the fingertips.

Tambourines are used to accompany songs and dances. In the East, the art of playing this instrument has achieved virtuosity. Solo tambourine playing is also common here. Dyaf, def or gaval is an Azerbaijani tambourine, haval or daf is Armenian, dayra is Georgian, doira is Tajik and Uzbek.

Plate percussion instruments

Let's continue to describe percussion musical instruments. Photos and names of plate drums are presented below. Such instruments that have a certain pitch include the xylophone, marimba (marimbaphone), metallophone, bells, bells, and vibraphone.

Xylophone

A xylophone is a set of wooden blocks of different sizes that correspond to sounds of different pitches. The blocks are made from rosewood, spruce, walnut, and maple. They are placed parallel in 4 rows, following the order of the chromatic scale. These blocks are attached to strong laces and are also separated by springs. A cord passes through the holes made in the blocks. The xylophone for playing is laid out on a table on rubber spacers, which are located along the cords of this instrument. It is played with two wooden sticks with a thickening at the end. This instrument is used for playing in an orchestra or for solo playing.

Metallophone and marimba

Metallophone and marimba are also percussion instruments. Do their photos and names mean anything to you? We invite you to get to know them better.

A metallophone is a musical instrument similar to a xylophone, but its sound plates are made of metal (bronze or brass). His photo is presented below.

Marimba (marimbaphone) is an instrument whose sounding elements are wooden plates. It also has metal tubular resonators installed to enhance the sound.

Marimba has a rich, soft timbre. Its sound range is 4 octaves. The playing plates of this instrument are made of rosewood. This ensures good musical and acoustic characteristics of this instrument. The plates are located in 2 rows on the frame. In the first row there are plates of basic tones, and in the second - halftones. Resonators installed in 2 rows on the frame are tuned to the sound frequency of the corresponding plates. A photo of this instrument is presented below.

The main components of the marimba are fixed to the support trolley. The frame of this cart is made of aluminum. This ensures sufficient strength and minimal weight. Marimba is used both for educational purposes and for professional playing.

Vibraphone

This instrument is a set of aluminum plates, chromatically tuned, which are arranged in 2 rows, similar to a piano keyboard. The plates are installed on a high table (bed) and secured with laces. In the center under each of them there are cylindrical resonators of a certain size. Through them pass in the upper part of the axis, on which fan fans (impellers) are fixed. This is how vibration is achieved. The damper device has this tool. It is connected under the stand to a pedal so that you can muffle the sound with your foot. The vibraphone is played using 2, 3, 4, and sometimes a large number of long sticks with rubber balls at the ends. This instrument is used in symphony orchestras, but more often in pop orchestras or as a solo instrument. His photo is presented below.

Bells

What percussion instruments can be used to reproduce bell ringing in an orchestra? The correct answer is bells. This is a set of percussion instruments used in symphony and opera orchestras for this purpose. The bells consist of a set (from 12 to 18 pieces) of cylindrical pipes that are tuned chromatically. Typically the pipes are chrome-plated steel or nickel-plated brass. Their diameter ranges from 25 to 38 mm. They are suspended on a special frame-rack, the height of which is about 2 m. Sound is produced by striking the pipes with a wooden hammer. The bells are equipped with a special device (pedal-damper) to dampen the sound.

Bells

This is a percussion instrument consisting of 23-25 ​​metal plates tuned chromatically. They are placed in steps in 2 rows on a flat box. The black piano keys correspond to the top row, and the white keys correspond to the bottom row.

Self-sounding percussion instruments

When talking about what types of percussion instruments there are (names and types), it is impossible not to mention self-sounding percussion instruments. The following instruments belong to this type: cymbals, tam-tams, triangles, rattles, maracas, castanets, etc.

Dishes

Plates are metal discs made of nickel silver or brass. A somewhat spherical shape is given to the discs of the plates. Leather straps are attached to the center. A long ringing sound is produced when they hit each other. Sometimes they use one plate. Then the sound is produced by hitting a metal brush or stick. They produce orchestral, gong and Charleston cymbals. They sound ringing and sharp.

Let's talk about what other percussion instruments there are. Photos with names and descriptions will help you get to know them better.

Orchestral triangle

An orchestra triangle (its photo is presented below) is a steel rod of an open triangular shape. When played, this instrument is hung freely and then struck with a metal stick, performing various rhythmic patterns. A triangle has a ringing, bright sound. It is used in various ensembles and orchestras. Triangles are available with two sticks made of steel.

A gong or tam-tam is a bronze disk with curved edges. Using a mallet with a felt tip, strike its center. The result is a dark, thick and deep sound, reaching its full strength gradually, not immediately after the impact.

Castanets and maracas

Castanets (photos of them are presented below) are from Spain. This ancient percussion instrument is shaped like shells tied with a cord. One of them faces the spherical (concave) side towards the other. They are made from plastic or hardwood. Castanets are produced single or double.

Maracas are balls made of plastic or wood, filled with shot (small pieces of metal) and decorated colorfully on the outside. They are equipped with a handle to make them comfortable to hold while playing. Various rhythmic patterns can be produced by shaking the maracas. They are used mainly in pop ensembles, but sometimes also in orchestras.

Rattles are sets of small plates mounted on a wooden plate.

These are the main names of percussion musical instruments. Of course, there are many more of them. We talked about the most famous and popular ones.

The drum kit that the pop ensemble has

In order to have a complete understanding of this group of instruments, it is also necessary to know the composition of percussion kits (sets). The most common composition is the following: a large and small drum, a large and small single cymbal, a paired hi-hat cymbal (Charleston), bongos, tom-tom alto, tom-tom tenor and tom-tom bass.

A large drum is installed on the floor in front of the performer, which has support legs for stability. Tom-tom alto and tom-tom tenor drums can be mounted on the top of the drum using brackets. It also has an additional stand on which the orchestra cymbal is mounted. The brackets that attach the tom-tom alto and tom-tom tenor to the bass drum regulate their height.

A mechanical pedal is an integral part of a bass drum. The performer uses it to extract sound from this musical instrument. A small pop drum must be included in the drum kit. It is secured with three clamps on a special stand: one retractable and two folding. The stand is installed on the floor. This is a stand that is equipped with a locking device for fixing in a certain position, as well as changing the inclination of the snare drum.

The snare drum has a muffler and reset device, which are used to adjust the tone. Also, a drum set sometimes includes several tom-tom tenors, tom-tom altos and tom-tom drums of different sizes.

Also (its photo is presented below) it includes orchestral cymbals with a stand, a chair and a mechanical stand for the Charleston. Maracas, triangles, castanets and other noise instruments are the accompanying instruments of this installation.

Spare parts and accessories

Spare accessories and parts for percussion instruments include: stands for orchestral cymbals, for snare drums, for Charleston cymbals, timpani sticks, a mechanical beater for a drum (large), sticks for a snare drum, pop drumsticks, orchestral brushes, mallets and bass drum leather, straps, cases.

Percussion instruments

It is necessary to distinguish between percussion keyboards and percussion instruments. Percussion keyboards include the piano and grand piano. The strings of a piano are arranged horizontally and are struck by a hammer from bottom to top. The piano is different in that the hammer strikes the strings in a direction away from the player. The strings are tensioned in a vertical plane. Grand piano and piano, due to the richness of sounds in terms of sound strength and height, as well as the great capabilities of these instruments, received a common name. Both instruments can be called in one word - “piano”. The piano is a stringed percussion instrument based on the way it produces sound.

The keyboard mechanism used in it is a system of levers interconnected, which serves to transfer the energy of the pianist’s fingers to the strings. It consists of mechanics and is a set of keys, the number of which may vary depending on the sound range of a particular instrument. The keys are usually lined with plastic covers. They are then mounted using pins on the keyboard frame. Each key has a pilot, capsule and overlay. It transmits, as a lever of the first kind, the force of the pianist to the mechanical figure. Mechanics are hammer mechanisms that convert the musician's force when pressing a key into a strike on the strings of the hammers. Hammers are made of hornbeam or maple, and their heads are covered with felt.

Musical instruments. Percussion instruments

Here we come to getting acquainted with the most ancient instruments. Tens of thousands of years ago, a man took a stone in both hands and began to knock them against each other. This is how the first percussion instrument appeared. This primitive device, which could not yet produce music, but could already produce rhythm, has survived in the everyday life of some peoples to this day: for example, among the aborigines of Australia, two ordinary stones still play the role of a percussion instrument.

Drums are much older than all other instruments: almost all researchers agree that instrumental music began with rhythm, and then the melody arose.

There is confirmation of this: during excavations in the village of Mezin near Chernigov, percussion instruments of a rather complex shape, made from jaws, cranial and scapular bones of animals, were discovered. There were even mallets made from mammoth tusks. An entire ensemble of six instruments, 20,000 years old. Of course, the man guessed just to hit a stone with a stone even earlier.

The name of this group comes from the method of producing sound - hitting stretched leather or metal plates, wooden blocks, etc. But look closely and you will see that the drums differ in everything else: in shape, size, material, and character sound.

In addition, drums are usually divided into two large groups. The first category includes those percussion instruments that have tuning. These are timpani, bells, bells, xylophone, etc. You can play a melody on them, and their sounds, on equal terms with the voices of other instruments, can be included in an orchestral chord or melody.

And the sound of a drum, for example, contains so many disordered frequencies that we cannot relate it to any sound of a piano, cannot determine whether the drum is tuned to G, E or B. From a physics perspective, a drum makes noise, not musical sound. The same can be said about the tambourine, cymbals, castanets. But, despite this seemingly unmusicality, these instruments are very necessary - some for rhythm, others for various effects and nuances. These are instruments of the second group that do not have a specific pitch.

Have you noticed that the drum and timpani, which are very similar to each other, fell into different groups. But there is another system of dividing percussion instruments - into membrane ones (which have a stretched skin - membrane) and self-sounding ones. Here the drum and timpani will fall into the same group, since their sounding element is the same - the membrane. And the cymbals, which, due to an uncertain pitch of sound, were in the same group with the drum, will now fall into another, since their sound is formed by the body of the instrument itself. What is important for you and me is that they play a very important role in music.

Drum- one of the most common percussion instruments. Two types of drums - large and small - have long been part of symphony and brass orchestras.

The sound of the drum does not have a certain pitch, so its part is not recorded on a stave, but on a “thread” - one ruler on which only the rhythm is indicated.

Listening: Bass drum, instrument sound.

The big drum is played using wooden sticks with soft mallets at the end. They are made from cork or felt.

The bass drum sounds powerful. His voice is reminiscent of thunder or cannon shots. Therefore, it is often used for visual purposes. For example, in the Sixth Symphony, L. Beethoven used it to convey the sound of thunder. And in Shostakovich's Eleventh Symphony, the big drum represents cannon shots.

Listening: L. Beethoven. Symphony No. 6 “Pastoral”, IV movement. "Storm".

Listening: Snare drum, instrument sound.

The snare drum has a dry and distinct sound. His beat emphasizes the rhythm well, sometimes enlivens the music, sometimes adds anxiety. It is played with two sticks.

Many people think that playing the drum is as easy as shelling pears. I would like to give you an example: when Ravel’s “Bolero” is performed, the snare drum is pushed forward and placed next to the conductor’s stand, because in this work Ravel assigned the drum a very important role. A musician playing a snare drum must maintain the uniform rhythm of the Spanish dance, without slowing down or speeding it up. Expression gradually increases, more and more instruments are added, and the drummer is drawn to play a little faster. But this will distort the composer’s intention, and listeners will get a different impression. You see what kind of skill is required from a musician playing such a simple instrument in our understanding. D. Shostakovich even introduced three snare drums into the first movement of his Seventh Symphony: they sound ominously in the episode of the fascist invasion.

The drum once had sinister functions: revolutionaries were led to execution under its measured beat, soldiers were driven through the ranks. And now, to the sound of drums and trumpets, they march in formation for the parade. African drums were once a means of communication, like the telegraph. The sound of the drum carries far, this is noticed and used. The signal drummers lived within hearing distance of each other. As soon as one of them began to transmit the message encoded in the drumbeat, the other received and passed it on to the next one. Thus, joyful or sad news spread over vast distances. Over time, the telegraph and telephone made this type of communication unnecessary, but even now in some African countries there are people who know the language of the drum.

Hearing: M. Ravel. "Bolero" (fragment).

Listening: The sound of a drum kit.

A symphony or brass band usually consists of two drums - a large and a small one. But in a jazz orchestra or pop ensemble, the drum kit, in addition to these two, includes up to seven tom-toms. These are also drums, their body looks like an elongated cylinder. Sound character: theirs is different. The drum kit also includes bongos - two small drums, one slightly larger than the other. They are combined into a single pair and played most often with the hands. Kongs can also be included in the setup - their body narrows downwards, and the skin is stretched only on one side.

Listening: Timpani. The sound of the instrument.

Timpani- also an obligatory member of the symphony orchestra. This is a very ancient musical instrument. Many peoples have long had instruments consisting of a hollow vessel, the opening of which is covered with leather. It is from them that modern timpani originated. Their role is so important that some conductors take their timpanist with them on tour.

Timpani have a huge range of sound power: from imitation of thunder to a quiet, barely perceptible rustle or hum. They are more complex than a drum. They have a metal body in the form of a boiler. The body has certain, strictly calculated dimensions, which allows you to achieve a strict pitch. Therefore, a composer can write notes for timpani. The body comes in different sizes, which means the sound has different pitches. And if there are three timpani in the orchestra, that means there are already three notes. But this instrument can be tuned to several sounds. Then you get even a small scale.

Previously, rebuilding a timpani took some time. And every composer knew: if a sound of a different pitch is required, the timpanist must be given time to tighten the screws and rebuild the instrument. In the middle of the 19th century. Musical masters equipped the timpani with a special mechanism that rearranges the timpani by simply pressing a pedal. Now timpanists have a new quality - small melodies have become available to them.

In ancient times, any war was literally unimaginable without drums, kettledrums, and trumpets. One Englishman said: “They usually try to make the army powerless by cutting it off from food; I advise, if we ever have a war with the French, to break through as many drums as possible for them.”
Timpani players and drummers enjoyed enormous authority. They had to be very brave, because they were at the head of the army. The main trophy in any battle was, of course, the banner. But the timpani were also a kind of symbol. Therefore, the musician was ready to die, but not give up with the timpani.

Listening: Poulenc. Concerto for organ, timpani and symphony. orchestra (fragment).

Listening: Xylophone, instrument range.

Word xylophone can be translated from Greek as “sounding tree.” It is surprisingly suitable for a musical instrument consisting of wooden blocks, which are played with two wooden sticks.

To obtain the familiar scale of wood, it is specially processed. Blocks of different sizes are cut from maple, spruce, walnut or rosewood, and the size is selected so that each block produces a sound of a strictly defined pitch when struck. They are placed in the same order as the keys on a piano, and are fastened together with laces at some distance from each other.

Listening: Mozart. "Serenade" (xylophone).

Listening: Marimba, instrument range.

Marimba. A type of xylophone - marimba.

These are the same wooden blocks, but in marimba they are equipped with metal tubes - resonators. This makes the marimba sound softer, not as clicky as a xylophone.

Marimba comes from Africa, where it still exists today. But the African marimba does not have metal resonators, but pumpkin ones.

Listening: Albeniz. "Asturias" from the "Spanish Suite" in Spanish. T. Cheremukhina (marimba).

Listening: Vibraphone, instrument range.

The design of another percussion instrument is interesting - vibraphone. As the name suggests, it produces a vibrating sound. Its sounding elements are made not of wood, but of metal. Under each metal plate there is a resonator tube, like a marimba. The upper holes of the tubes are covered with caps that can rotate, either opening or closing the hole. Frequent movement of the caps gives the effect of sound vibration. The higher the rotation speed of the covers, the more frequent the vibration. Nowadays electric motors are installed on vibraphones. The xylophone and marimba came to us from time immemorial, but the vibraphone is a very young instrument. It was created in America in the twenties of the twentieth century.

Listening: Celesta, instrument range.

Celesta. Half a century older than the vibraphone is the celesta, invented in 1886 in France. Externally, the celesta is a small piano. The keyboard is also a piano keyboard, with the same hammer system. Only instead of strings, the celesta contains metal plates inserted into wooden resonator boxes. The sound of the celesta is quiet, but very beautiful and gentle. It is no coincidence that she was given such a name: celesta in Latin - “Heavenly”.

Listening: I. Bach. Joke (celesta).

These instruments - xylophone, marimba, vibraphone and celesta - are polyphonic and can play a melody.

In 1874, the French composer Saint-Saëns wrote a work he called “Dance of Death.” When it was performed for the first time, some listeners were seized with horror: they heard the sound of bones, as if Death was actually dancing - a terrible skeleton with a skull looking through empty eye sockets, with a scythe in his hands. The composer achieved this effect using a xylophone.

The family of percussion instruments is very diverse and numerous. Let's just list some other drums...

Listening: Bells, sound of an instrument.

Bells- a set of metal tubes of different lengths suspended in a special frame.

Listening: Glockenspiel (orchestral bells), sound of the instrument.

Bells- very similar to a toy metallophone, only it has more plates and the plates themselves are more harmonious.

Listening: Cymbals, instrument sound.

Well known to everyone dishes.

Listening: Gong, sound of an instrument.

Gong- a large massive disk with curved edges, which, like no other, can create the impression of mystery, darkness, horror;

Listening: There, there, the sound of an instrument.

A type of gong that has a certain pitch is there-there, not precisely configurable.

Listening: Triangle, instrument sound.

Triangle- a steel rod, bent into a triangle, which, when struck with a metal rod, produces a transparent, gentle, pleasant sound. The list of percussion instruments goes on and on.

Questions and tasks:

1. Which percussion instrument is the most ancient and which is the youngest?
2. List as many percussion instruments as possible.
3. What is a membrane?
4. What groups and on what basis are percussion instruments divided?
5. Name percussion instruments that have a certain pitch.

Presentation

Included:
1. Presentation - 33 slides, ppsx;
2. Sounds of music:
Bass drum, instrument sound, mp3;
Snare drum, instrument sound, mp3;
Sound of a drum kit, mp3;
Timpani, instrument sound, mp3;
Xylophone, instrument range, mp3;
Marimba, instrument range, mp3;
Vibraphone, instrument range, mp3;
Celesta, instrument range, mp3;
Bells, instrument sound, mp3;
Glockenspiel (orchestral bells), instrument sound, mp3;
Cymbals, instrument sound, mp3;
Gong, instrument sound, mp3;
Tam-tam, instrument sound, mp3;
Triangle, instrument sound, mp3;
Beethoven. Symphony No. 6 “Pastoral”, IV movement. "Thunderstorm", mp3;
Ravel. “Bolero” (fragment), mp3;
Poulenc. Concerto for organ, timpani and symphony. orchestra (fragment), mp3;
Mozart. “Serenade” (xylophone), mp3;
Albeniz. "Asturias" from the "Spanish Suite", in Spanish. T. Cheremukhina (marimba), mp3;
Bach. Joke (celesta), mp3;
3. Accompanying article, docx.