Ashiko: The West African Cone-Shaped Drum
This table gives a clear starting picture of the ashiko, including its shape, materials, sound, and...
Bodhrán: The Heartbeat of Irish Traditional Music
Instrument Name Bodhrán (pronounced Bow-rawn) Classification Membranophone, Frame Drum Place of Origin Ireland 🇮🇪 Traditional Materials...
Bongos: The Small Cuban Drums with a Big Sound
FeatureTypical formWhat it means in sound and use Instrument familyHand-played membranophoneSound begins with vibrating drumheads rather...
Conga Drums: Afro-Cuban Percussion and Cultural History
A conga drum can sound round and warm one moment, then cut through an ensemble with...
Darbuka: The Goblet Drum of Middle Eastern Music
FeatureInstrument familySingle-headed membranophone with a goblet-shaped, open-ended shellCommon English namesDarbuka, darabukka, darbouka, doumbek, dumbek and derbekkeh...
Djembe: The Goblet Drum of West Africa
Instrument Name Djembe (also spelled Jembe, Jenbe, Djimbe) Classification Membranophone, Goblet Drum, Hand Percussion Place of...
Egyptian Sistrum: The Sacred Rattle of Hathor
Imagine standing in the cool, dimly lit hall of an ancient temple in Thebes. The air...
Frame Drums: Ancient Percussion Across Cultures
FeatureFrame drum characteristics Instrument familyMembranophone; usually a directly struck, single-headed drum with a shallow body Basic...
Gamelan Instruments: The Bronze Sound of Indonesia
FeatureDescription Instrument typeOrchestral instrument set built around tuned gongs, gong-chimes, metallophones, drums, and selected melodic instruments...
Glockenspiel: The Bright Metal Percussion Instrument Explained
FeatureGlockenspiel detail Instrument familyPitched percussion; a struck-bar idiophone and metallophone Sounding materialUsually hardened steel or a...
Kanjira: The South Indian Frame Drum
This table gathers the main structural, historical, and musical traits that define the kanjira as a...
Marimba: The African and Latin Percussion Instrument
This table gives a compact overview of the marimba’s build, sound, materials, history, and close relatives....
Mbira (Kalimba): The African Thumb Piano
Instrument Family Lamellophone (Plucked Idiophone) Origin & Roots Zimbabwe (Shona People), Southern Africa Traditional Name Mbira...
Steel Drum: The Caribbean Percussion Instrument
This table gathers the physical build, musical role, sound, and historical place of the steel drum...
Tabla: The Indian Drum Pair Explained
Tabla is often described as a pair of Indian hand drums, yet that label hides how...
Taiko: The Thunderous Spirit of Japanese Drums
Classification Membranophone (Percussion Instrument) Origin Japan (Roots in China/Korea, modernized in 20th century) Primary Materials Keyaki...
Talking Drum: How Drums Communicated Messages
Instrument Family Percussion (Membranophone) Classification Variable-tension hourglass drum Primary Origin West Africa (Oyo Empire, Ghana Empire)...
Timpani: The Orchestral Kettledrums Explained
FeatureTimpani detail Instrument familyDefinite-pitch membranophone; a large orchestral kettledrum Main sound sourceA single tensioned head vibrating...
Tongue Drum: What It Is and How It Works
This table gathers the main details that shape how a tongue drum is built, tuned, and...
Udu Drum: The Clay Pot Drum of Nigeria
Feature Udu drum details Instrument family Hand percussion; commonly classified as both a vessel idiophone and...
Xylophone: From Folk Traditions to the Orchestra
FeatureOrchestral xylophoneWider xylophone family Instrument classStruck-bar idiophone with chromatically tuned barsStruck-bar idiophones arranged in regional scales...
21 articles in Percussion