The Percussion Ensemble

1
The Percussion Ensemble

• A Versatile Section

2
Historical Uses

• Percussion instruments have been around as long
  as humanity.
• The section was not extensively explored in
  Western Art Music until the end of the
  19th/beginning of the 20th Century.
• The modern percussion section now includes too
  many instruments to list.

3
Historical Uses

• Turkish military instruments were used
  extensively in 17th and 18th century opera.
• These instruments include snare drums, triangles,
  cymbals, and small gongs castanets and
  tambourines from the Mediterranean were also
  added.
• Timpani became fashionable in King Henry VIIIs
  time.

4
Historical Uses

• The military instruments slowly found their way
  into the concert hall when the composer was
  trying to evoke an effect.
• By the mid- to late 19th century, the triangle,
  snare drum, bass drum, and cymbals became
  standard instruments in the orchestra.
• Nationalistic composers and composers interested
  in the music of cultures other than their own
  introduced many new instruments into the section.

5
Historical Uses

• The glockenspiel and xylophone became integrated
  into the larger symphony of the late 19th
  century.
• The percussion ensemble became a common medium in
  the 1920s.

6
Number and Distribution

• Unlike the other percussion parts, the timpanist
  is considered a separate member of the ensemble
  and usually only plays timpani.
• The other parts are assigned to the players by
  the section leader -- mallets, drums, cymbals,
  and special effects.

7
Number and Distribution

• Two important issues to consider when scoring
  for percussion
• Is there sufficient time for the player to switch
  instruments?
• Can one player play more than one instrument
  simultaneously?
• As always, it is best to consult a player to make
  sure parts are possible.

8
Notation

• There is no standardized notation for the
  percussion instruments.
• Keyboards use the grand staff, or treble or bass
  clef depending on where the pitches lie.
• Be consistent with the other instruments -- use
  the same line or space throughout the
  composition.
• The designation l.v. means let vibrate.

9
Notation

• Some scores use symbols to indicate which
  mallets, sticks or beaters to use, and some
  scores write out or use abbreviations to indicate
  the choice.
• If a part has several instruments on it, provide
  a legend at the beginning of the part and be
  consistent.

10
Classification of Percussion

• The two main categories of instruments are those
  of definite pitch and those of indefinite pitch.
• Each of the two main categories is divided into
  one of four subgroups
• Idiophones
• Membranophones
• Chordophones
• Aerophones.

11
Idiophones

• These instruments produce their sound by the
  vibration of the entire instrument -- triangles,
  cymbals, wood blocks, etc.
• Marimbas and vibraphones have many vibrating
  bodies combined into one instrument.
• These instruments can be scraped, struck, shaken,
  or stroked.

12
Idiophones -- Definite Pitch

• The xylophone has a dry, hard, brittle sound.
• This instrument has very little sustain. If a
  long sustained pitch is needed, it must be
  rolled.
• The most commonly used instrument has a written
  range of C4 to C7 and sounds an octave higher
  than notated.
• The player usually uses only two mallets.

13
Idiophones -- Definite Pitch

• Marimba keys are longer, wider, and thinner than
  the xylophones which gives the instrument a
  mellow and longer sustaining sound.
• The commonly used range is A2 to C7 and sounds as
  written.
• Soloists commonly use an instrument that has
  pitches down to C2.
• It is not uncommon for a marimbist to use four
  mallets.

14
Idiophones -- Definite Pitch

• The vibraphone has bars made of metal and has a
  sound similar to tuning forks.
• There are fans inside the resonator tubes which
  are driven by a variable speed motor.
• Because of the sustain there is a damper pedal.
• The most commonly used instrument has a range of
  F3 to F6 and sounds as written.

15
Idiophones -- Definite Pitch

• The glockenspiel, also know as orchestra bells,
  has bars made of highly tempered steel.
• Brass mallets produce the characteristic sound,
  though other mallets are often used.
• This instrument also has a long sustain.
• The written range is G3 to C5, but the instrument
  sounds two octaves higher than written pitch.

16
Idiophones -- Definite Pitch

• The chimes (tubular bells) consist of long brass
  tubes which have a long sustain with a detuned
  sound like church bells.
• The commonly used range is C4 to F5 and the
  instrument sounds as written.
• This instrument also has a pedal to control the
  sustain.
• A rawhide mallet is the most common but other
  mallets are used as well.

17
Membranophones

• These instruments produce their sound by the
  vibration of a skin or membrane stretched and
  fastened over a resonating shell or tube.
• Because of durability, ease of use, and
  especially cost, plastic has been replacing
  natural skin in many applications.
• Membranophones are usually struck with a beater
  or the hand.

18
Membranophones -- Definite Pitch

• The timpani heads are commonly made of plastic,
  however professional orchestral timpanists often
  use heads made of calfskin.
• Usually four drums of interlocking ranges are
  used
• 32 -- D2 to A2
• 28 -- F2 to C3
• 25 -- B-flat2 to F3
• 23 -- D3 to A3.
• The drums have a pedal which tightens and loosens
  the head.

19
Chordophones

• All chordophones are definite pitched
  instruments.
• The sound is produced by the vibration of a
  string which is amplified by a resonator -- a
  box, case, board, or a combination of the three.
• The strings are struck with a mallet or activated
  by a mechanism.

20
Chordophones

• The cimbalom is trapezoid shaped and laid flat to
  be struck on the strings with a leather or wooden
  mallet.
• Like the piano it has multiple strings for each
  pitch.
• It often has a damper pedal.
• The range is from E2 to E6.

21
Aerophones

• Aerophones produce their sound by a column of
  vibrating air -- brass and woodwind instruments
  are aerophones.
• In the percussion section this category includes
  whistles, sirens, and machines.
• Though most produce a definite pitch, it is not
  always notated.