Percussion (musical instrument): description. Percussion musical instruments

Introduction

Percussion musical instruments

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

Classification of percussion instruments

The variety of varieties and forms of percussion musical instruments has formed several options for their classification. The same tool can belong to several groups.

According to their pitch, percussion instruments are divided into

• Percussion instruments with a specific pitch, which can be tuned to specific notes of the scale. Such instruments include timpani, xylophone, vibraphone, bells and a number of others;
• Percussion instruments with indefinite pitch, which do not have settings for certain sounds. Among these instruments - big and snare drums, triangle, cymbals, tambourine, castanets, tam-tam and others.

According to the sound production, percussion instruments are divided into

An example of a membranophone is the Armenian dhol

• Membranophones- instruments in which the sounding body is a stretched membrane made of leather or plastic. These include timpani, drums, tambourine, bongos, dhol, tom-toms, etc.

• Idiophones- instruments in which the sounding body is the whole instrument (gong, tam-tam), or consisting of entirely sounding bodies (triangle, xylophone, marimba, vibraphone, bells)

Idiophones according to the material are further divided into

• Metal idiophones, the sounding elements of which are made of metal - a triangle, a vibraphone, bells;
• Wooden idiophones, the sounding elements of which are made of wood - a wooden box, Korean bells (temple blocks), a xylophone.

A special group of percussion instruments is made up of stringed percussion instruments, in which strings are the sounding body. Such instruments include the piano, as well as folk instruments of the genus cymbals.
2. Percussion

A number of percussion instruments that are not part of the classic drum set. These include tabla, darbuka, tambourine, tambourine, maracas, cowbell, bells, shakers, congos, bongos, triangle, ratchet, wooden box, castanets and dozens of other ethnic percussion instruments. They are used, in a different set, in all types of musical orchestras and ensembles. There are also groups (Malaysia, Africa, India, South America, Northern peoples) consisting of performers playing only percussion instruments. Such groups, as a rule, perform ritual music and accompany ritual holidays. Distributed mainly in tribes. They also perform on the big stage as a rhythmic accompaniment to exotic vocal and dance groups. Among the music of academic composers there are works written only for percussion instruments. Usually this is a rather large and colorful composition in terms of instrumentation. Often, in addition to traditional instruments and a drum set, various ethnic percussion instruments are used. In Russia (USSR), the impetus for writing music for a percussion ensemble was the creation of such an ensemble by Mark Pekarsky, who has been successfully performing to this day. It is also probably used in a figurative sense (person-percussion), which means approximately the same as a Jericho trumpet or a person who attracts a lot of attention.

In modern musical culture, especially in the field of orchestral and ensemble performance, there is a noticeable strengthening of the role of percussion instruments. The richness of timbre and color colors, huge artistic and expressive possibilities, melodic and rhythmic potential, a wide range of dynamic and stroke diversity - this is not a complete list of the advantages of this instrumental group.

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 martial dances and dances.

These days, percussion instruments are very common, as no ensemble can do without them.

Percussion instruments are instruments whose sound is produced by striking. According to their musical qualities, i.e., the possibility of obtaining 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.), lamellar (xylophones, vibraphones, bells, etc.), self-sounding (cymbals, triangles, castanets, etc.).

The loudness 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 impact. In some instruments, amplification of the sound is achieved by adding resonators. The timbre of the sound of percussion instruments depends on many factors, the main of which are the shape of the sounding body, the material from which the instrument is made, and the method of impact.

Webbed percussion instruments

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

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

The membrane is attached to the body with a hoop and tension screws. These screws, located around the circumference, tighten or release the membrane. Thus, the timpani is tuned: if the membrane is pulled, the system will be higher, and, conversely, if the membrane is released, the system 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, mounted on a tripod stand.

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. Pedal ones are the most common, since with one click on the pedal, you can rebuild the instrument to the desired key without interrupting the game.

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

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

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

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

The large pop 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 (webs) are attached to the body with two rims and pinch screws.

To give the drum a specific sound, special strings or spirals (stringer) are pulled over the lower membrane, which are driven by a reset mechanism.

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

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

The small variety drum has the same device as the orchestral one. 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 kits. 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 pop drum set. Between themselves, the bongs are connected by adapters.

Tambourine- is a hoop (shell), in which leather or plastic is stretched on one side. Special slots are made in the body of the hoop, in which brass plates are fixed, looking like small orchestral cymbals. Sometimes, even inside the hoop, small bells and rings are strung on stretched strings or spirals. All this from the slightest touch to the instrument tinkles, creating a peculiar sound. Impacts on the membrane are made 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 virtuosity, solo playing on this instrument is common. The Azerbaijani tambourine is called def, dyaf or gaval, Armenian - daf or haval, Georgian - daira, Uzbek and Tajik - doira.

Plate percussion instruments

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

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

The xylophone is played with two wooden sticks with a thickened end. The xylophone is used both for solo playing and in the 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).

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

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

Playing plates are made of rosewood wood, which provides high musical and acoustic properties of the instrument. The plates are arranged on the frame in two rows. The first row contains the fundamental tone plates, the second row contains the semitone plates. Resonators mounted on a frame in two rows (metal tubes with plugs) are tuned to the sound frequency of the corresponding plates.

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

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

vibraphone is a set of chromatically tuned aluminum plates arranged in two rows similar to a piano keyboard. The plates are mounted on a high frame (table) and fastened with laces. Under each plate in the center are cylindrical resonators of the appropriate size. Axes pass through all the resonators in the upper part, on which fan impellers - fans are mounted. A portable silent electric motor is mounted on the side of the bed, which rotates the impellers evenly throughout the entire playing of the instrument. Thus, vibration is achieved. The instrument has a damper device connected to the pedal under the bed to dampen the sound with the foot. The vibraphone is played with two, three, four sometimes longer sticks with rubber balls at the ends.

The range of the vibraphone is from F of a small octave to F of the third octave, or from to the first octave to the third octave.

The vibraphone is used in a symphony orchestra, but more often in a variety orchestra or as a solo instrument.

bells- a set of percussion instruments that are used in opera and symphony orchestras to imitate bell ringing. 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 hung in a rack frame about 2 m high. The sound is extracted by hitting the pipes with a wooden hammer. The bells are equipped with a pedal-damper device for muffling the sound. The range of bells is 1-11/2 octaves, usually from F to a large octave.

bells- a percussion musical instrument, which 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 a note to the first octave to a note to the third octave, and depends on the number of plates.

Self-sounding percussion instruments

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

Dishes are metal discs made of brass or nickel silver. The discs of the cymbals are given a somewhat spherical shape, 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 extracted by hitting a stick or a metal brush. Orchestral cymbals, Charleston cymbals, gong cymbals are produced. Cymbals sound sharply, ringing.

Triangle orchestral is a steel bar, which is given an open triangular shape. When playing, the triangle is freely suspended and hit with a metal stick, performing various rhythmic patterns.

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

There-there or gong- a bronze disk with curved edges, the center of which is struck with a mallet with a felt tip, the sound of the gong is deep, thick and gloomy, does not reach full strength immediately after the blow, but gradually.

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

Maracas- balls made of wood or plastic, filled with a small amount of small pieces of metal (shot), maracas are colorfully decorated on the outside. For ease of holding during the game, they are equipped with a handle.

By shaking the maracas, various rhythmic patterns are reproduced.

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

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

Variety drum set ensemble

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

Directly in front of the performer, a large drum is installed on the floor, it has resistant legs for stability. On top of the drum, with the help of brackets, tom-tom tenor and tom-tom alto drums can be fixed; additionally, a stand for an orchestral plate is provided on the bass drum. The brackets that secure the tenor tom-tom and alto tom-tom to the bass drum adjust their height.

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

The composition of the drum set necessarily includes 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 inclination of the snare drum.

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

A drum kit may include several tom-tom drums of different sizes, tom-tom altos and tom-tom tenors at the same time. The tom-tom bass is mounted on the right side of the performer and has feet 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 kit also includes orchestral cymbals with a stand, a mechanical Charleston cymbal stand, and a chair.

Accompanying drum kit instruments are maracas, castanets, triangles, and other noise instruments.

Spare parts and accessories for percussion instruments

Spare parts and accessories for percussion instruments include: stands for snare drums, stands for orchestral cymbals, mechanical pedal stand for orchestral cymbals "Charleston", mechanical beater for bass drum, timpani sticks, snare drum sticks, variety drum sticks, orchestral 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, lamellar, self-sounding.

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

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

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

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

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

Webbed - a stretched membrane sounds in them - a membrane (timpani, drum, tambourine, etc.). The timpani is a set of several metal cauldrons of various sizes, covered with a skin membrane on top. The tension of the membrane can be changed by a special device, while the height of the sounds extracted by the mallet changes;

Self-sounding - in these instruments, the sound source is the body itself (cymbals, triangles, castanets, maracas).

Music surrounds us from childhood. And then we have the first musical instruments. Do you remember your first drum or tambourine? And the shiny metallophone, on the records of which you had to knock with a wooden stick? And the pipes with holes on the side? With a certain skill, one could even 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 up of such toys, in which kids selflessly blow pipes, beat drums and tambourines, spur the rhythm with maracas and play the 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, brass, and also reed. Which of them appeared earlier, which later, it is now difficult to say for sure. But already the ancient people who shot from a bow noticed that a stretched bowstring sounds, reed tubes, if blown into them, make whistling sounds, and it is convenient to beat the rhythm on any surface with all available means. These items became the progenitors of stringed, wind and percussion instruments already known in ancient Greece. Reeds appeared just as long ago, but keyboards were invented a little later. Let's take a look at these main groups.

Brass

In wind instruments, sound is produced as a result of vibrations of a column of air enclosed inside a tube. The larger the volume of air, the lower the sound it makes.

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 the fingers, the musician can shorten the column of air and change the pitch. Modern instruments are often made not from wood, but from other materials, however, according to tradition, they are called wooden.

Copper brass sets 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 came the saxophone, the king of jazz.

The pitch of the brass winds changes due to the force of the blown air 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 hit 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 pipes, can be rolled up, giving them a more compact shape. French horn, tuba, helicon are examples of coiled trumpets.

Strings

The bowstring can be considered the prototype of stringed instruments - one of the most important groups of any orchestra. The sound is produced by a vibrating string. To enhance the sound, the strings began to be pulled over the hollow body - this is how the lute and mandolin, cymbals, harp ... and the familiar guitar appeared.

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

Keyboards

If the fingers striking the strings are replaced by hammers, and the hammers are set in motion with the help of keys, we get keyboards tools. First keyboards - clavichords and harpsichords appeared in the Middle Ages. They sounded rather quiet, but very gentle and romantic. And at the beginning of the 18th century, they invented piano- an instrument that could be played both loudly (forte) and softly (piano). The long name is usually shortened to the more familiar "piano". The older brother of the piano - what's the brother - the king! - that's what it's called: piano. This is no longer a tool for small apartments, but for concert halls.

Keyboards include the largest - and one of the most ancient! - musical instruments: organ. This is no longer a percussion keyboard, like a piano and a grand piano, but keyboard wind instrument: not the lungs of the musician, but the blower machine creates a flow of air into the tube system. 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 huge: each tube can sound only on one note, but when there are thousands of them ...

Drums

Percussion instruments were the oldest musical instruments. 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 is made up of drums that produce a sound of a certain height: timpani, bells, xylophones. You can already play a melody on them. Percussion ensembles, consisting only of percussion instruments, arrange 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 oscillate, then we get the simplest tongue - the basis of reed instruments. If there is only one tongue, we get jew's harp. Linguistics include accordions, bayans, accordions and their miniature model - harmonica.

harmonica

On the button accordion and accordion you can see the keys, so they are considered both keyboards and reeds. Some wind instruments are also reeded: for example, in the clarinet and bassoon already familiar to us, the reed is hidden inside the pipe. Therefore, the division of tools into these types is conditional: 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 with the help of 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. Unless, of course, someone will make a program. :)

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

- musical instruments, the sound on which is produced by hitting (with hands, sticks, hammers, etc.) on the body becomes its source. The largest and oldest family of all musical instruments. Sometimes percussion instruments are called a word percussion(from English. percussion ).

A musician who plays percussion instruments is called drummer or percussionist, in rock and jazz groups - also drummer.

1. Classification

Depending on the sound source, percussion instruments can be:

An exotic percussion instrument came from the western regions of Ukraine to other regions of the republic, for the specific coloring of the sound it is called a bull. In a small conical shell, the upper opening is covered with leather. A bunch of horsehair is attached to it in the center. The musician, with his hands moistened in kvass, pulls his hair and produces persistent sounds of a chord.

4. Multimedia

Sources

• Brief musical dictionary, M.1966
• Hymn to drum art (Rus.)
• Percussion musical instruments (Rus.)

Literature

• A. Andreeva. Percussion instruments of a modern symphony orchestra. - K .: "Musical Ukraine", 1985
• A.Panaiotov. Percussion instruments in the modern orchestra. M, 1973
• E.Denisov. Percussion instruments in the modern orchestra. M, 1982

Nefteyugansk District Municipal Budgetary Institution of Additional Education "Children's Music School"

Methodical development

"Percussion instruments. Features and characteristics»

Percussion class)

Percussion teacher Kayumov A.M.

mr. Poikovsky

2017

Percussion instruments. Features and characteristics.

The history of the emergence and development of percussion instruments goes back to ancient times, since they were born before all musical instruments.

Initially, percussion instruments were used as signal or cult instruments. Cult instruments were also considered sacred instruments. Since ancient times, timpani, drums have been used during military campaigns and solemn ceremonies, were continuous attributes of all kinds of folk festivals, processions, accompanied by dance and song.

With the advent of symphonic music, percussion instruments gradually became part of opera and symphony orchestras, playing the role of accompanying instruments. They either emphasized the strong beat of the bar or rhythmic figure, or enhanced the sound of the tutti orchestra.

The development of percussion instruments proceeded in close connection with the development of other instruments and groups of the orchestra, as well as the main expressive means of music: melody, harmony, rhythm. At present, the instrumentation of the percussion group of the orchestra has greatly expanded, and the role of the percussion group as a whole has increased unusually. In the orchestra, percussion instruments most often perform a rhythmic function, maintaining the clarity and sharpness of movement. They also add splendor and a very special flavor to the orchestral sound, enriching the colorful palette of the modern orchestra.

Despite the fact that the melodic means of percussion instruments are very limited, composers often skillfully use the originality of the sound of percussion instruments and entrust them with the most important parts. Percussion instruments sometimes take the most active part in revealing the theme of a work, holding the attention of listeners throughout a work of a large form or a large fragment of it. For example, in M. Ravel's "Bolero" one of the main artistic elements of music is the sharp ostinato rhythmic figure of the snare drum. D. Shostakovich also used the sound of instruments in the central episode of the first part of the seventh symphony, depicting a picture of an enemy invasion.

Between themselves, percussion instruments are divided into instruments with a certain pitch, such as timpani, bells, lyre, tubular bells, vibraphone, tubaphone, marimba, etc. and instruments with indeterminate pitch, such as the triangle, castanets, scourge, maracas, tambourine, brazilian pandeira, ratchet, wooden box, snare drum.

Percussion instruments with specific pitch

Lyra - a type of bells used in brass bands. The lyre is a set of metal plates mounted on a lyre-shaped frame in one or two rows. The chromatically filled range of the lyre ranges from one to two octaves.

With a single-row arrangement, the plates are mounted horizontally on two rails that run in the middle of the frame. The range of the modern single-row lyre is -1.5 octaves, from the salt of the 1st octave to the 3rd octave. With a two-row arrangement, similar to the keyboard of percussion bells, the records are mounted horizontally on four rails that run in the middle of the frame.

The range of a two-row lyre is 2 octaves, from the 1st octave to the 3rd la. The lyre is notated in the treble clef and sounds an octave higher.

The lyre is played by striking the records with wooden sticks with balls at the ends. When playing on a hike, the lyre is held with the left hand by the upper part of the handle, and the lower end of the handle is inserted into the socket of a leather belt that is worn around the neck. In the right hand they hold a hammer with which they hit the plates. The sound of the lyre is the same as that of orchestral bells. However, its technical capabilities are much less. The lyre serves mainly for the performance of simple march melodies. When playing the lyre in stationary conditions, it is installed on a special stand, and then it can be played with two hands, as on ordinary bells.

Since the end of the 19th century, the orchestra has been usingtubular bells, which gradually replaced their expensive and massive prototypes.

Tubular bells are copper or steel long pipes with a diameter of 40-50 mm, suspended on a special frame. They are finely tuned to a particular sound over a chromatically filled range from 1st octave A to 2nd octave F.

The bells are usually notated in the treble clef and sound an octave lower. The sound is extracted with the gift of a wooden mallet with a barrel-shaped head, covered with leather or rubber. The bells sound quite clean and transparent, more reminiscent of the sound of chimes, and blend well with the orchestral mass. To muffle their sound, a pedal damper is used.

On the bells, in addition to individual sounds, they perform small and simple melodic sequences. It is possible to play double notes and chords, in the latter case, the presence of two performers is desirable.

Tremolo can be obtained on a single sound and in an interval; on tubular bells, a peculiar effect is also possible - a long-sounding glissando.

In addition to tubular bells, plate or hemispherical bells are often used, which are also tuned to a certain height.

vibraphone consists of two rows of metal plates tuned so that they form a chromatic scale. The records are suspended by means of a cord on a mobile stand-table. Under the plates are tubular resonators, in which the blades are mounted, connected by a common metal shaft. A special electric motor rotates a shaft connected to blades that open and close the resonators, which creates dynamic vibration (the effect of periodic amplification and attenuation of sounds). Under the plates there is a damper bar connected to the pedal, when pressed, the damper bar is pressed against the plates, gently stopping their vibrations.

The sound of a vibraphone is long, vibrating, gradually fading. They play the vibraphone with two, three or even four flexible reed sticks, at the ends of which are soft balls covered with a seam or felt cloth. To get a soft sound, they play with sticks covered with a fold. For a clearer blow, stiffer sticks are used, and when they play without vibration, turning off the motor, they use sticks with wooden heads covered with woolen thread; the sound at the same time turns out to be short, approaching the sound of a metallophone.

A melodic line with vibration, as well as individual sounds and intervals, are performed with two sticks. Vibration, of course, excludes the performance of virtuoso passages in fast movement, since individual sounds merge in this case. When performing such passages, a short sound without vibration is achieved by pressing the pedal.

There are two types of vibraphone - concert and orchestral. Their ranges are the same in volume (three octaves, but differ in height; for a concert, from F of a large octave to F of the 2nd octave, and for an orchestral, from to a small octave to up to the 3rd octave).

Vibraphone is notated in treble and bass clefs in real sound.

in a tubaphone - an instrument that appeared almost simultaneously with the vibraphone - metal plates were replaced by metal tubes of various sizes. Arranged in four rows, they are tuned in such a way that they form a complete chromatic scale. The middle two rows contain only the sounds of the G-major scale, the two extreme ones contain all the rest. For the convenience of the performer, the sounds of F and C-sharp are duplicated in all octaves.

The tubules, interconnected by a cord or vein, are laid out on straw rollers. They play the tubaphone with xylophone sticks; its sound is even, not too harsh, reminiscent of small bells. Compared to ordinary bells, the tubaphone sounds somewhat softer and muffled. Tubaphone sounds do not merge at all due to the rapid decay.

Technically, the tubaphone is very mobile and in this sense approaches the xylophone. The techniques of playing the tubaphone and xylophone are the same.

The instrument is notated in the treble clef in real sound.

The tubaphone is rarely found in musical literature, and its possibilities have been poorly used to date. The reason, perhaps, lies in the insufficient dynamic amplitude of the instrument, which makes it difficult to nuance, and in a somewhat muffled timbre. A. Khachaturian very accurately used the tubaphone in the "Dance of the Girls" from the ballet "Gayane".

Marimba - a wooden percussion instrument. This is a kind of xylophone with rosewood or amaranth wood plates, only in large sizes and with resonators.

The homeland of the marimba is Africa and South America, where it is still widespread among local residents.

The modern marimba consists of two rows of wooden plates tuned to the chromatic scale and placed on a wooden base frame. The frame is attached to a four-wheel stand (table). Metal tubular resonators are located under the plates. The wooden plates of the marimba are slightly larger than the plates of an ordinary xylophone (width 5 cm, thickness 2.5 cm).

The marimba is played with two, three or four sticks with plastic balls of various densities at the end. There are several varieties of marimbas that differ in pitch.

Playing techniques are the same as on the xylophone.

Percussion instruments with indeterminate pitch

Triangle - percussion instrument of high tessitura. The origin of the triangle is unknown. The triangle appeared first in military bands, and then, at the end of the 17th and beginning of the 19th century, in operas. Later, he entered the symphony orchestra, where he firmly established himself. Currently, the triangle is used in orchestras of any composition.

The triangle is a steel bar (section 8-10 mm), bent in the form of an equilateral triangle, the ends of which are not closed. Triangles come in many sizes, but the most common instruments are of the following standards: large, 25 cm base, medium, 29 cm base, small, 15 cm base. Small triangles sound high, large ones sound low.

The triangle is hung on a vein string or just on a vein, but not on a rope or on a belt, since the latter muffle the sound of the instrument.

They play the triangle with a metal stick 22 cm long. Without a handle, as it also somewhat muffles the sound of the instrument. Sticks are used differently. To perform pianissimo, a thin stick with a diameter of 2.5 mm is taken. Mezzo pianos use sticks with a diameter of 4 mm, and sticks with a diameter of 6 mm are used for playing fortissimo.

The sound of the triangle is clear and transparent. In the orchestra, it is always audible, cutting through even the powerful tutti with its sound. When playing on a triangle, it is held in the left hand by the vein; in the right hand they hold a metal stick, which is struck in the middle of the base of the triangle. With a faster alternation of beats, the triangle is hung with a hook on the crossbar of the remote control or a special stand and played with two sticks. With short strokes, the sound of the triangle is muffled by the fingers.

On the triangle, simple rhythmic figures and tremolo work well. Tremolo is performed with one hand in the upper corner of the triangle. The nuance on the triangle is very flexible; all shades and transitions between them are possible on it.

Castanets - a popular folk percussion instrument, widespread in Spain and southern Italy. Castanets are made of solid wood. They are two wooden shell-shaped slices. Both segments are interconnected by a cord passed through holes in the upper part of the castanets. A loop is made from the same cord, into which the thumb of the right or left hand is passed, and with the rest of the fingers they hit the convex side of the slice. This type of castanets is intended mainly for dancers.

There are also single-sided orchestral castanets, which consist of a small handle. Two cups are attached to the upper part of the handle, which has a shell-like shape, on both sides with the help of a cord.

Single-sided castanets do not have great sound power. Therefore, double-sided castanets are used to enhance sonority. Two cups of castanets are attached to both ends of the handle.

Orchestral castanets are held in the right hand by the handle and, shaking them, make the cups hit each other.

Most often, castanets are used to reproduce the characteristic, so-called "Spanish" rhythms (M. Glinka "Jota of Aragon", "Night in Madrid").

On castanets, it is possible to perform individual strokes and tremolo.

In the nuances of the castanets - the instrument is not very flexible; they are prescribed mainly dynamic shades of forte and mezzo-forte. Quite rarely, single beats or simple rhythmic figures are entrusted.

More complex rhythmic figures on castanets are played with snare drum sticks or a bell hammer. To do this, castanets are laid out on a soft base, and they are hit with sticks or hammers.

Beach - clapperboard . This simple tool originated in ancient times. It was used by musicians-singers instead of clapping their hands. In symphonic music, the scourge is usually used for onomatopoeia.

The beach-cracker consists of two long boards 6-8 cm wide and 50-60 cm long. There are handles on the outside of the boards. At one end, the boards are connected to each other with loops or a leather belt so that their opposite ends can diverge freely.

While playing the instrument, the performer holds both boards by the handles. Spreading the free ends of the boards to the sides, he strikes them against each other with a sharp movement. It turns out dry and sharp cotton, very similar to the clicking of a whip.

This piercing sharp clap in the orchestra always sounds unexpected and, like orchestral paint, is very impressive.

Maracas - Latin American instrument of Indian origin. The maracas came to European music from Cuban dance orchestras, where it is used quite often as an instrument that emphasizes the sharp syncopated rhythm.

Original Cuban maracas are made from a dried hollow coconut, inside of which small pebbles and olive grains are poured. A handle is attached to the bottom.

Modern branded maracas are made from thin-walled wooden, plastic or metal empty balls covered with peas and shot.

Two maracas are usually used for the game; hold them by the handles in both hands. When shaking the instrument, a muffled hissing sound is produced.

Pandeira - this is a kind of simplified form of a tambourine - a tambourine without skin. Pandeira is used in the orchestra when they want to emphasize the specificity of the metric side of modern dances.

Pandeira is a quadrangular wooden frame, in the middle of which there is a long rail that passes into the handle. Between the sides of the frame and the rail there are four to eight pairs of brass plates mounted on metal rods.

The pandeira is held in the right hand, tilted at an angle of 45 degrees so that all the plates lie on one side. To reproduce the sound, strike the palm of the left hand at the base of the thumb. The cymbals, shaking and hitting each other, produce the effect of a rapidly ending tinkling, since, falling on each other, they are muffled.

In jazz and pop orchestras, pandeira is used along with maracas as an instrument that emphasizes the rhythm.

Tambourine - one of the oldest instruments, known for more than two millennia. Tambourine (tambourine) was used to accompany songs, dances, processions by the peoples of the Far and Middle East, Southern Europe (France, Italy, Spain), nomadic gypsies, buffoons from Rus'.

The tambourine came to the symphony orchestra in the first half of the 19th century. It was used mainly in episodes of a folk dance character. A modern orchestral tambourine consists of a low wooden rim 5-6 cm wide, covered with leather on one side. The skin is stretched with a thin hoop and tightening screws. Tambourines are made in different sizes: small, high sounding (diameter 22-25 cm); large, low sounding (diameter 36 cm).

There are several oblong oval cutouts in the wall of the rim, into which a pair of small plates are inserted, mounted on metal rods.

When playing the tambourine, the cymbals hit each other, producing rhythmic tinkling. The tambourine, which was predominantly used in Rus', differs from the tambourine in that a wire is stretched crosswise inside the rim, on which small bells are suspended, ringing when shaken or struck.

There is no significant difference in sound between a tambourine and a tambourine. In a symphony orchestra, a tambourine is more often used, and in orchestras of folk instruments, a tambourine. When playing the tambourine, the performer holds it by the rim in the maiden hand, slightly tilting it so that the cymbals lie down along the rim, and with the brush or thumb of the right hand they hit the skin, performing all kinds of rhythmic patterns and tremolo

box . One of the oldest sacred instruments used even before our era. Wooden boxes were especially widely used among the peoples of the Far East, Africa and South America.

This musical instrument is found under numerous names and in a large number of varieties. The most common and at the same time the simplest variety is the Chinese box.

It has the shape of a brick, which is a wooden block made of sonorous varieties of well-dried wood. Box sizes vary. The upper surface of the boxes is slightly rounded. On the side, in the upper part of the bar, at a distance of no more than 1 cm from the surface, a deep slit 1 cm wide is hollowed out almost in its entire length.

They play on the box with different wooden sticks, hitting the surface. It makes a pretty strong clicking sound.

In symphonic literature, the wooden box very timidly won a place for itself, while in jazz it took root very quickly. Nowadays, wooden boxes are widely used in all orchestras.

Ratchet - an ancient instrument common in North Africa, Southeast Asia and among the peoples who inhabited the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. It was used in ritual ceremonies. It was used to ward off evil spirits.

The rattle has been used in the symphony orchestra since the end of the 18th century. There are many varieties of ratchets, but their basic design is as follows: a wooden gear is mounted on a wooden or metal rod, which ends on one side with a handle. The wheel with the rod is placed in a wooden case, in which it rotates freely with the help of a handle. In this case, the gear wheel touches the end of a thin wooden or metal plate fixed in a recess on the wall of the case. Jumping off the teeth, the plate produces a dry crackle.

The strength of the sound of a ratchet depends on the size of the teeth, the elasticity of the plate, the pressure force of the plate on the teeth, and the speed of rotation of the gear. To amplify the sound, double rattles are made, i.e. rattles with two plates sounding sequentially.

Ratchets are used in symphonic, jazz and pop music, music for theatrical productions.

snare drum . The snare drum, which entered the opera and symphony orchestra in the 18th century, traces its origins to army signal drums with strings. His role in the orchestra was to sharply emphasize the rhythm. However, gradually the snare drum is gaining a firm place in the symphony orchestra and as an instrument with special expressiveness.

At present, the snare drum is used very widely in orchestras of any composition and in the most diverse music.

The snare drum consists of a metal or wooden cylinder-body, covered on top and bottom with well-dressed calfskin or plastic film stretched over the handrests. From above, metal hoops are superimposed on both sides, which, with the help of coupling screws, create tension on the surface of the skin or plastic. On the working side of the drum, that is, the side on which they are played, the skin or head should be of moderate thickness, and on the other side, called the stringer, the skin or head should be thinner, which makes them more sensitive to the transmission of vibrations when struck on working side. Over leather or plastic, on the outside of the stringer, either vein strings or thin metal wires twisted in spirals are pulled. It is they who give the sound of the snare drum a specific crackling tone.

The snare drum is played with two wooden sticks. The main tricks of the game are single strikes, which make up a variety of rhythmic patterns and dross. The whole playing technique is, in fact, a combination of these two basic techniques, due to which the most complex rhythmic figures are obtained on the snare drum.

Conclusion.

Over the past years, the attitude towards the group of percussion instruments has qualitatively changed - from the most insignificant it has turned into a concert and equal along with other orchestral groups. If earlier percussion instruments were used in the general orchestral mass (especially at the moments of build-ups and emphasis on climaxes). now they are often used independently and in such a way that their timbre does not mix with the timbres of other instruments. Drums now relatively rarely duplicate other orchestral voices, and composers prefer their pure timbres.

now many metal instruments with a certain pitch have come to the fore in the percussion group (Vibrafono, Campane, Crotali), as well as a number of metal percussion instruments with an indefinite pitch that are new to the traditional orchestra (Gong, Tam-tam, Cow-bells). Most modern composers are still quite reserved about the bells. The reason for this is probably that the Bells are inferior in sound quality to antique cymbals (although they have a greater range), not to mention the bells and vibraphone. Significantly increased in the modern orchestra and the role of wooden percussion instruments. The previously known xylophone has practically disappeared from the modern orchestra, giving way to the marimbaphone, which has a much wider range and surpasses the xylophone in a variety of timbres.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the coloristic framework of the symphony orchestra began to expand significantly, and the introduction of new percussion instruments immediately gave composers the means to expand the timbre range of the orchestra. Some of the new instruments quickly exhausted their capabilities, while others firmly and for a long time took their place in the orchestra, proving that they can not only solo, but also be excellent members of ensembles.

In the 20th century, composers for the first time truly felt the expressive possibilities of timbre. This does not mean at all that the expressiveness of the timbre was inaccessible to composers.

XIX century - let us recall, for example, the characterization of the Countess in The Queen of Spades or the initial bars of P. Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony - but timbre expressiveness was always combined with intonation expressiveness, while in the XX century composers often used paint, which carries greater expressiveness outside direct connection with intonation.

The tendency to expand the timbre range of instruments has led to the fact that composers began to accurately indicate the methods of sound production on drums. Indeed, percussion instruments (at least most of them) are able to change their timbre depending on how and where the sound was extracted from them. For example, striking a cymbal with a timpani stick, hard felt, soft felt, sponge, wood or metal sticks produces completely different sound spectra. The timbre of the cymbal also changes depending on the place of impact - along the edge, in the middle part or along the dome. A composer attentive to orchestral color always points this out. The vibraphone, for example, becomes completely different in sonority and flashes with new bright colors when the vibraphone sticks are replaced by hard ones. The whole sound character of this instrument changes when the motor is turned off.

The issue of saving timbres is of great importance in new music, especially if the timbre logic is leading. Having received in their hands the enormous timbre richness of the modern orchestra, many composers scatter colors too generously. This captivates the listener, but soon satiates him. While the saved and timely applied paint can give a strong effect. Let us recall, for example, what a stunning impression the first introduction of keyboard bells in Mozart's Magic Flute makes.

The problem of saving timbre especially concerns the group of percussion instruments, because the way of sound production and the prevalence of timbre over other components do not allow them to show the intonational flexibility that string and woodwind instruments have now achieved.

All of the above is in no way an attempt to belittle the role of percussion instruments, but their specificity is such that it requires caution and accuracy in handling. Reasonable use of percussion can greatly enrich the score, unreasonable use can destroy it. Even such percussion instruments as the vibraphone have the ability to quickly bore and tire the listener.

This applies even more to drums with an indefinite pitch. But the drum group as a whole is a bright and powerful means of expression in the hands of a talented and experienced composer.

Bibliography:

1. Denisov E.V., "Percussion instruments in a modern orchestra", ed. "Soviet composer", M., 1982.

2. Kupinsky K.M., “School of playing percussion instruments”, ed. "Music", M., 1982.

3. Panayotov A.N., "Percussion instruments in modern orchestras", ed. "Soviet composer", M., 1973.