Music #507 - Instruments - Percussion (drums)

Percussion Instrument

(1) membranophones (e.g. timpani, drums)

(2) idiophones (resonant material)

- tuned (e.g. xylophone, tubular bells)

- others (e.g. cymbals, triangkes)  

Percussion Section  (a 2-hour overview)
(1) timpanum 
(2) auxiliary percussion: 
- bass drum, snare drum
- tambourine, cymbals, gong (tam-tam), triangle, wood block,  castanets, maracas ..... 

(3) tuned percussion (producing melody and rhythm):
- vibraphone, marimba, xylophone, glockenspiel, tubular bells  
- handbells, tuned cowbells .....

(1) Timpani

(timpanist) 

The timpanist is traditionally regarded as the principal of the percussion section.

Carl Orff - Carmina Burana cantata

- I. & XXV. "O Fortuna" 

("O Fortuna" opens and closes the cantata)

 

Timpani can be tuned by altering the skin tension using turning screws or a  pedal.

Richard Strauss - “Also sprach Zarathustra 

(Thus Spoke Zarathustra)” tone poem

- Its first section, “Sunrise”, is the initial fanfare 

that became well known to the general public, 

due to its use in “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968 film).

 

 

  

Dvořák - New World Symphony - IV. Finale

(L) Tchaikovsky - Swan Lake

 

(R) Tchaikovsky - Symphony No.6 - III

(L) Bach - Toccata and Fugue (BWV 565)

 

(R) Mahler - Symphony No.3 - VI

(2) Auxiliary Percussion

Side/snare drum

The snare drum has a set of gut or metal springs stretched across its lower drum head which vibrate when the upper head is struck. 

* Maurice Ravel - Boléro 

 

 * Aram Khachaturian - "Gayane" ballet - Sabre Dance

 

* Drumline (2002) movie - final battle 

 

* Grenadier Guards - Corps of Drums

Bass drum

 

Verdi - Requiem - II. Dies irae (Day of Wrath /《震怒之日》/《末日经》)

 

Funerary procession for Margaret Thatcher

##

Note the two big drums (in the second row) 

that set the tempo of the march music 

and the slow march footwork.

## varied from the funeral marches by

(L) Mendelssohn (Songs Without Words for piano - Bk 5 No.3)

(R) Chopin (Piano Sonata No. 2 - III) 

 

Drum set

 

 

(R) Theme song for Rocky III (1982 film)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grand bands

 

AC/DC Highway to Hell       AC/DC Thunderstruck

Some others:

(L) Cymbals, bass drum, timpanis, triangle, 

tambourines, snare drum

 

(R) Timbales, bongos (short), congas (tall)

 

1-2-3-4-

和太鼓 / Taiko / Japanese drums

 

 

Source: Wikipedia