Percussion Instruments: Types, Names & Examples

Percussion is the oldest family of musical instruments. From the primitive drums of the earliest civilisations to the modern drum kit and the xylophones of the school classroom, the world of percussion is vast and wonderfully varied. If you are wondering which instruments belong to this family, how they are classified and which ones suit a child, this guide will give you clear answers. You will see the main classifications, learn the names used for each type and understand what fits each age.

What are percussion instruments?

Percussion instruments are those that produce sound when they are struck, scraped or shaken. They form the largest family of instruments in music, and you will find them in every musical tradition on earth — from Western classical to African ceremonial music and modern pop.

The way the sound is produced is the very definition of the family. A drum is struck with a stick. A triangle is hit with a metal beater. Maracas are shaken. Castanets are clicked against each other. In every case, the mechanical energy of the strike is turned into sound waves.

It is worth noting that percussion is not only about rhythm. Many of these instruments, such as xylophones and glockenspiels, play complete melodies. Their range is far wider than most people assume.

How are percussion instruments classified?

Percussion is classified using two main criteria: how the instrument is built (membranophones or idiophones) and whether it can produce notes of a specific pitch (pitched or unpitched). Understanding this distinction makes it much easier to choose an instrument for study or for the classroom.

Percussion classification table

Membranophones: the drum category

In membranophones, the sound comes from the vibration of a stretched membrane — a natural skin or a synthetic head. This is what most of us picture first when we hear the word “percussion”. The category includes drums, orchestral timpani, congas, bongos, the djembe and the tambourine.

The tambourine is probably the most familiar membranophone for young children, while the djembe has become hugely popular in group drumming classes. Congas and bongos are closely tied to Latin American musical traditions.

Orchestral timpani are the exception to the rule: they are membranophones that produce notes of definite pitch. The player can adjust the pitch by changing the tension of the head, which is why you see them in orchestras rather than rock bands.

Idiophones: when the body itself sings

Idiophones need no membrane at all. It is the very material of the instrument that resonates — wood, metal or another hard substance. This is arguably the most diverse category in all of music.

Examples of unpitched idiophones: triangle, cymbals, castanets, maracas, bells, and boomwhackers when used purely for rhythm. These do not produce a specific note, but they add colour, rhythm and character to the music.

Examples of pitched idiophones: xylophones, metallophones, the glockenspiel, the kalimba (often called the “African thumb piano”) and orchestral chimes. Here, every bar or tine is tuned to a specific note, so these instruments can carry a full melody.

Melodic percussion: instruments with definite pitch

Melodic percussion — the pitched instruments — is a particularly important category for music education. The xylophone, the metallophone and the glockenspiel let a complete beginner play real melodies with no prior experience at all.

So what sets them apart? The xylophone has wooden bars and gives a warm, slightly dry sound. The metallophone has metal bars, with a brighter tone that sustains longer. The glockenspiel also has metal bars, but smaller ones, producing a crystalline, high-pitched ring. Boomwhackers are a modern take on the same idea: plastic tubes of different lengths, each tuned to a note, played by tapping them on the floor or against your hand.

These educational percussion instruments are used widely in conservatoires and schools across Cyprus, often as part of the Orff approach, which builds a child’s first contact with music on rhythm and melody.

Percussion for children and the classroom

Percussion is the ideal starting point for a child taking their first steps in music. There is no tuning to worry about, no tricky hand positions like on wind instruments, and the cause-and-effect relationship — you strike, you hear — is immediate. That keeps a child engaged from the very first seconds.

For young children (ages 3-6), tambourines, bells, maracas and boomwhackers are the usual recommendations. For school-age children (7+), the xylophone and the glockenspiel open the door to melody, while for kids who crave rhythm and energy, a beginner drum pad is an excellent solution.

In music schools and conservatoires across Cyprus, the standard set of educational percussion includes soprano and alto xylophones, a glockenspiel, a metallophone, a tambourine and a triangle. The classroom equipment a music teacher needs covers exactly these categories.

Percussion accessories: what you need beyond the instrument

Many percussion instruments need accessories to be played properly. The most essential are drumsticks, which vary by instrument: sticks for a drum kit are quite different from the soft mallets used on xylophones or metallophones.

Drumheads are replaced on drums after heavy use. Choosing the right head has a direct effect on the sound: open or muffled, single-ply or double-ply — there is a suitable option for every style of music.

For children playing educational percussion, the mallets that come with xylophones and glockenspiels are usually part of the set. For more advanced students, though, switching to a mallet with a softer or harder head changes the sound significantly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which instruments count as percussion?

Percussion instruments are those that produce sound by being struck, scraped or shaken. The family includes drums, the tambourine, the djembe, congas, bongos, the xylophone, the metallophone, the glockenspiel, the triangle, cymbals, castanets, maracas and many more.

What is the difference between membranophones and idiophones?

In membranophones, a stretched membrane vibrates to make the sound — a natural or synthetic head, as on drums and congas. In idiophones, the body of the instrument itself resonates, whether it is wood (xylophone) or metal (triangle, glockenspiel). The distinction is about how the sound is produced, not about pitch.

Which percussion instrument suits a young child?

For children aged 3-6, tambourines, maracas, bells and boomwhackers are ideal. From age 7 upwards, the xylophone and the glockenspiel are excellent choices, because they allow melody and lay the foundations for future study.

Is the piano a percussion instrument?

This is a question that divides musicologists. Technically the piano is both a chordophone (the sound comes from strings) and a percussion instrument, because the keys trigger hammers that strike those strings. The official Hornbostel-Sachs classification lists it as a chordophone, but in music education it is often described as a percussive string instrument.

Conclusion

Percussion instruments are far more than drums and timpani. From the xylophone in the school classroom to the cymbals of a symphony orchestra and the congas of Latin American music, this is a family with real depth and variety. The basic classification — membranophone or idiophone, pitched or unpitched — helps you see where each instrument belongs and what it has to offer.

If you are looking for percussion instruments for a child, for a classroom or for yourself, at Partassides you will find a wide range of educational percussion used in schools and conservatoires across Cyprus.

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Related guides

• Classroom Percussion: Orff Instruments, Boomwhackers & Xylophones
• Which Musical Instrument Suits Your Child? A Guide by Age
• Woodwind vs Brass Instruments: The Complete Guide

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