Percussion instruments are musical instruments that generally
are used to establish rhythm. Percussion instruments make a sound when they are struck, shaken, scraped, plucked, or rubbed. Some types, such as rattles and xylophones, have moving parts built into them that make a sound. Some have bodies that vibrate to produce a sound. They include bells, cymbals, and gongs. Another type of percussion has a tightly stretched covering, or skin, that vibrates when struck or rubbed. These include all types of drums. They can be beaten with the hands or with other objects, including sticks.
People have used percussion instruments for thousands of years. The ancient cultures of the Middle East, such as Mesopotamia and Egypt, used simple materials to make clappers, drums, and cymbals. In China and Vietnam people made chimes out of stones or bamboo tubes. Gongs developed in western Asia. The instruments spread to Africa and Europe and later the Americas. Today, as in the past, they are used in musical performances as well as in religious ceremonies and processions. In parts of Africa people even use drums to send messages to neighboring people. The drums can be heard for up to 20 miles (32 kilometers).
Drums and many forms of percussion are combined with other instruments to make music of all kinds. Modern Western classical orchestras include percussion instruments along with stringed and wind instruments. Popular music bands do the same.
