All Things Percussion

Percussion is the use of any instrument that produces sound by shaking, tapping, rubbing or other maneuvers. While it is often used in conjunction with other instruments or music to provide a background or rhythm, percussion is musically successful all on its own. Many different items exist that are classified as percussion, which are further categorized into several groups. Percussion societies and organizations exist to foster the development of skills and techniques to continually improve in competence in this musical area.

Percussion Instruments

• Rhythmic Percussion: Facts and information about various percussion items.

• Percussion Index: A brief description of six different types of percussion items.

• Percussion Instruments: A list of several percussion items with a short explanation of each one.

• The Percussion Family: Types of percussion instruments as described by the Oregon Symphony.

• Musical Instruments: Percussion: Facts and characteristics of assorted percussion instruments.

• New and Unusual Percussion Instruments: Descriptions of several items used in percussion sections in many recent performances, producing a contemporary sound.

• The Percussion: A list and description of various percussion instruments with a link to hear the sound of each.

• Percussion Instruments: Brief introduction to three different percussion instruments: the xylophone, the marimba, and the dulcimer.

• The Bass Drum: A history and description of the bass drum with a sound byte to hear its tone.

• Percussion: History and description of several percussion instruments with links providing further commentary.

Percussion instruments are further divided into several categories. Some percussion items, such as bells or a xylophone, carry tones and are considered tuned percussion. Other items, such as drums, are called untuned items. Percussion may also be further classified into areas such as their historical or cultural background. For example, castanets are considered Latin percussion, while the fumbo has an African origin.

• Percussion Instruments: A list of various percussion instruments according to their classification. The site also offers a sound byte of each to hear its tone.

• Classifying Percussion Instruments: An introduction and further classification of instruments into the categories proposed by Sachs and Brindle.

Playing Tips

• Drums and Percussion: How to get the best from your drums, percussion, and yourself.

• Play it Again: Hints and tips about playing percussion.

• Percussion Clinic: Tips about playing the concert bass drum.

• How to Play Drums: The first steps of learning and then improving upon playing the drums.

• Drum Tips: Several tips about improving techniques when playing the drums.

• Add Tips: Many tips for drummers, from better playing techniques to practical advice.

• U.S. Air Force Academy Band: Warm-ups and performance tips for the mallet player.

• More Drum Tips: Twenty different ideas to improve performance on the drum set.

• Shekere Playing: The fundamentals of playing an auxiliary instrument, the shekere.

• Drum Tips and Tricks: Tips on drumming and percussion to improve playing and increase speed.

Percussion Studies and Programs

• Northern Illinois University: The percussion program for graduate and undergraduate students at the College of Visual and Performing Arts School of Music.

• Northern Kentucky University: A well-rounded percussion curriculum, including jazz and brass ensembles, groups, and recitals.

• University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance: A significant percussion program that provides teaching in composition, performance, and improvisation.

• California Institute of the Arts: Providing technical skills, fluency, and cultural competence for students at the Herb Alpert School of Music.

• Furman University: A program providing several music majors and a percussion program that specializes in performance or music study.

• Manhattan School of Music: Developing skills to apply to any musical setting and teaching professional competence in percussion music.

• NYU Steinhardt: Providing a percussion performance education at the Department of Music and Performing Arts.

• Towson University: Many performance opportunities and comprehensive study for future musicians and teachers.

• Florida State University: State-of-the-art education for learning percussion performance.

• Oberlin Conservatory: Instruction with individualized attention and focus on percussion performance.

Percussion Festivals

• Music for All: Bands of America and percussion ensembles performing in several events.

• Music Media: An international festival in Opole, Poland, providing percussion ensembles and performances since 1988.

• Gyor International Percussion Festival: The eleventh annual percussion festival in Hungary, celebrating the arts and percussion entertainment.

• World Rhythm Festival: Performances and drum workshops from the Seattle World Percussion Society.

• Berklee Percussion Festival: Practical playing experience through many performance activities at the Berklee College of Music.

Associations and Societies

• Indiana Percussion Association: Events, resources, and multimedia focused on percussion playing.

• Rocky Mountain Percussion Association: A non-profit youth organization promoting the education and performance of percussion instruments.

• Minnesota Percussion Association: An educational organization designed to advance the performance skills of high-school aged percussion students.

• Percussive Arts Society: News, articles, and competitions related to percussion performance.

• Mid-Atlantic Percussion Society: Music education in the areas of concert and marching percussion.