Percussion instruments are among the most ancient. The first prototype of a percussion instrument appeared when primitive people, by hitting a stone against a stone, created a kind of rhythm for ritual dances or simply in everyday household chores (crushing nuts, grinding grain, etc.).
As a matter of fact, a percussion instrument could be any device producing measured noises. In the beginning, they were stones or sticks or planks. Later, the idea of tapping a rhythm on hollowed leather appeared – the first drums.
During the excavations of the settlement sites of the tribes of Central Africa and the Far East, archaeologists have found more similar to the modern examples of ancient percussion instruments. Obviously, it is they who have served as a model for creating European percussion instruments in their time.
Functional features of percussion instruments
The sound produced by percussion instruments originated from primitive rhythmic melodies. The tinkling and ringing prototypes of modern percussion instruments were used during ritual dances by people of Ancient Greece and Rome and Asian countries.
But representatives of ancient Arab states used percussion instruments, in particular drums, during military campaigns. European nations adopted this tradition much later. Poor in melody, but boisterous and rhythmic, drums have become an invariable accompaniment to military marches and hymns.
And in the orchestra percussion instruments found quite a wide application. At first, they were denied access to European academic music. Gradually percussion instruments found their application in dramatic music within opera and ballet orchestras and only later they found their way into symphony orchestras. But today it is difficult to imagine an orchestra without drums, kettledrums, cymbals, tambourine, tambourine or triangle.
Classification of percussion instruments
The group of percussion musical instruments is not only numerous, but also very unstable. Several different ways of classifying them have been developed, so the same instrument can belong to several subgroups at once.
The most common percussion instruments today are timpani, vibraphone, xylophone; various types of drums, tambourines, African tambourine, as well as triangle, cymbals, castanets and many others.