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  1. Percussion instrument | Definition, Types, History, Examples, & Facts ...

    Feb 21, 2026 · percussion instrument, any musical instrument belonging to either of two groups, idiophones or membranophones. Idiophones are instruments whose own substance vibrates to …

  2. Musical instrument - Classification, Types, Families | Britannica

    Feb 24, 2026 · Some 16th-century writers excluded certain instruments from this classification; the musical theorist Lodovico Zacconi went so far as to exclude all percussion instruments and …

  3. Musical instrument | History, Characteristics, Examples, & Facts ...

    Feb 24, 2026 · The principal types of such instruments, classified by the method of producing sound, are percussion, stringed, keyboard, wind, and electronic. Learn more about the characteristics and …

  4. percussion instrument summary | Britannica

    percussion instrument, A musical instrument that is struck (or sometimes shaken or scraped) to produce sound. This category includes instruments whose own hard substance is made to vibrate …

  5. percussion instrument - Students | Britannica Kids | Homework Help

    Percussion instruments date from the most ancient times. Two rocks struck together to beat time, or pebbles rattled rhythmically in a gourd, are some of the ancient instruments still used today in some …

  6. Musical Instruments Portal | Britannica

    Percussion instrument, any musical instrument belonging to either of two groups, idiophones or membranophones. Idiophones are instruments whose own substance vibrates to produce sound (as …

  7. Percussion instrument - Renaissance, Baroque, Classical | Britannica

    Feb 21, 2026 · The 19th century saw a rise in the use of percussion instruments in orchestral music. For example, Berlioz called for 10 cymbals in his Requiem (1837), some to be struck together, others to …

  8. Percussion instrument - Asia, Drums, Gongs | Britannica

    Percussion instrument - Asia, Drums, Gongs: Still preserved today are actual clappers from ancient Egypt and from Sumer of about 3000 bce. Their use seems never to have died out.

  9. Instrumentation - Percussion, Timpani, Cymbals | Britannica

    Percussion instruments became a favourite source of colour in the 20th century, in both the concert and popular fields. Instruments from all over the world are now commonly available and are divided into …

  10. Percussion instrument - Orchestral, Drums, Mallets | Britannica

    Feb 21, 2026 · Percussion instrument - Orchestral, Drums, Mallets: The exploitation of various and unusual tone colours and effects characterizes the use of percussion instruments in 20th- and 21st …