Metal percussion instrument. Classification of musical instruments

20 Nov 2015

Percussion folk instruments. Video tutorial

Russian folk percussion instruments are the first of three groups of folk instruments.A characteristic feature of Russian folk percussion instruments is that some of them were household items.Perhaps one of the most common Russian folk instruments is spoons. There used to be spoons wooden, and people began to use these wooden spoons as a percussion instrument. They usually played on three spoons, two of which were held in one hand, and the third in the other. Children often play on two spoons, fastened together Spoon performers are called spoons . There are very skillful spoon players who play on a large number of spoons, which are stuck both in their boots and in their belts.

The next percussion instrument, which was also a household item, is ruble . He is wooden block with notches on one side. It was used to wash and iron clothes. If we run a wooden stick over it, we will hear a whole cascade of loud, crackling sounds.

Our next tool that we will get acquainted with will be ratchet . There are two varieties of this tool. A ratchet, which is a set of wooden plates tied together with a rope and a circular ratchet, inside of which there is a toothed drum, when rotated, the wooden plate hits it.

No less popular drum folk instrument is tambourine , which is a wooden hoop with small metal plates, with leather stretched on one side.

The next Russian folk percussion instrument is box . It is a block of wood, usually made from hardwood, with a small cavity underneath the top of the body that amplifies the sound produced by drumsticks or xylophones. The sound of this instrument conveys well the clatter of hooves or the clicking of heels in a dance.

Russia with its vast expanses cannot be imagined no C's horses, without coachmen. In the evening, in the snow, when visibility was very poor, it was necessary for people to hear the approaching three. For this purpose, bells and bells were hung under the horse's bow. Bell It is a metal cup open to the bottom with a striker (tongue) suspended inside. It sounds only in limbo. Bell it is a hollow ball in which a metal ball (or several balls) rolls freely and, when shaken, hits the walls, resulting in a sound produced, but duller than a bell.

So many songs and instrumental compositions are dedicated to the Russian troika and the coachmen that it became necessary to introduce a special musical instrument into the folk instrument orchestra, imitating the sound of the coachmen's bells and bells. This instrument was called - bells . A strap is sewn onto a small piece of leather the size of a palm to help hold the instrument in the palm. On the other hand, as many bells themselves as possible are sewn on. By shaking the bells or hitting them on the knee, the player produces sounds reminiscent of the ringing bells of the Russian troika.

Now we'll talk about a tool called kokoshnik .

In the old days, village watchmen were armed with so-called mallets. The watchman walked

at night around the village and knocked on it, letting fellow villagers know that he was not sleeping, but working, and at the same time scaring off thieves.

The percussion folk instrument kokoshnik is based on the principle of this sentry beater. Its basis is a small wooden frame covered with leather or plastic, which is struck by a ball suspended from the top. The player makes frequent oscillatory movements with his hand, causing the tied ball to swing from side to side and alternately hit the walls of the kokoshnik.

The next musical instrument is called firewood . It consists of logs tied with rope of different lengths. Not all wood will sound good. It is better to take hardwood firewood. The logs are taken of different lengths, but approximately the same thickness. After the instrument is made, it is tuned.

We have become acquainted with the main Russian folk instruments, and in conclusion I would like to introduce you to some of the most famous percussion instruments of other nations.

A very common Latin American instrument is maracas.

Maracas or maraca is the oldest percussion and noise instrument of the indigenous inhabitants of the Antilles - the Taino Indians, a type of rattle that produces a characteristic rustling sound when shaken. Nowadays maracas are popular throughout the territory Latin America and are one of the symbols of Latin American music. Typically, a maraca player uses a pair of rattles, one in each hand.

In Russian, the name of the instrument is often used in the not entirely correct form “maracas”. The more correct form of the name is "maraca".

Initially, the dried fruits of the gourd tree, known in Cuba as “guira” and in Puerto Rico as “iguero”, were used to make maracas. The gourd tree is a small evergreen plant that is widespread in the West Indies (Antilles), Mexico and Panama. Large higuero fruits, covered with a very hard green shell and reaching 35 cm in diameter, were used by the Indians to make both musical instruments and dishes.

To make maraca, small fruits with a regular round shape were used. After removing the pulp through two holes drilled in the body and drying the fruit, small pebbles or plant seeds were poured inside, the number of which varies in any pair of maracas, which provides each instrument with a unique individual sound. At the last stage, a handle was attached to the resulting spherical rattle, after which the instrument was ready

Now let's get acquainted with a very famous Spanish percussion instrument - castanets.

Castanets are a percussion musical instrument that consists of two concave shell plates, upper parts tied together with a cord. Castanets are most widespread in Spain, Southern Italy and Latin America.

Similar simple musical instruments, suitable for rhythmic accompaniment of dancing and singing, were used back in Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece.

The name castanets in Russian is borrowed from Spanish, where they are called castañuelas (“chestnuts”) due to their resemblance to chestnut fruits. In Andalusia they are more often called palillos ("sticks").

Plates were traditionally made from hardwood, although Lately For this, metal or fiberglass is increasingly used. IN symphony orchestra, for the convenience of performers, castanets are most often used, mounted on a special stand (the so-called “castanet machine”).

Castanets in use spanish dancers and dancers, were traditionally made in two sizes. Large castanets were held with the left hand and beat out the main movement of the dance. Small castanets were in right hand and beat off various musical drawings which accompanied the performance of dances and songs. Accompanied by songs, castanets acted only as acting out - during a break in the voice part.

In world culture, castanets are most strongly associated with the image of Spanish music, especially with the music of Spanish gypsies. Therefore, this instrument is often used in classical music to create a “Spanish flavor”; for example, in such works as J. Bizet’s opera “Carmen”, in Glinka’s Spanish overtures “Aragonese Jota” and “Night in Madrid”, in “Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol”, in Spanish dances from Tchaikovsky’s ballets.

Although percussion instruments are not played in music the main role, but often percussion instruments give music a unique flavor.

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State autonomous professional educational institution Moscow cities

"College of Entrepreneurship No. 11"

COURSE WORK

On the topic of: Percussion instruments

Specialty: "Musical literature"

Performed:

Student Safronova Kristina Kirillovna

Supervisor:

Department teacher

Audiovisual technologies

Bocharova Tatyana Alexandrovna

Moscow 2015

1. PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS

Percussive musical instruments are a group of musical instruments, the sound of which is extracted by striking or shaking (swinging) [hammers, beaters, sticks, etc.] on a sounding body (membrane, metal, wood, etc.). The largest family of all musical instruments.

Percussion musical instruments appeared before all other musical instruments. In ancient times, peoples used percussion instruments African continent and the Middle East to accompany religious and warlike dances and dances.

Nowadays, percussion instruments are very common, since not a single ensemble can do without them.

Percussion instruments include instruments in which sound is produced by striking. According to musical qualities, i.e. the ability to produce sounds of a certain pitch, all percussion instruments are divided into two types: with a certain pitch (timpani, xylophone) and with an indefinite pitch (drums, cymbals, etc.).

Depending on the type of sounding body (vibrator), percussion instruments are divided into webbed (timpani, drums, tambourine, etc.), plate (xylophones, vibraphones, bells, etc.), self-sounding (cymbals, triangles, castanets, etc.).

The volume of the sound of a percussion instrument is determined by the size of the sounding body and the amplitude of its vibrations, i.e., the force of the blow. In some instruments, sound enhancement is achieved by adding resonators. The sound timbre of percussion instruments depends on many factors, the main ones being the shape of the sounding body, the material from which the instrument is made, and the method of impact.

1.1 Webbed percussion instruments

In webbed percussion instruments, the sounding body is a stretched membrane or membrane. These include timpani, drums, tambourine, etc. percussion bell sound drum

Timpani are an instrument with a certain pitch, having a metal body in the form of a cauldron, in the upper part of which a membrane made of well-dressed leather is stretched. Currently, a special membrane made of high-strength polymer materials is used as a membrane.

The membrane is attached to the body using a hoop and tension screws. These screws, located around the circumference, tighten or release the membrane. This is how the timpani is tuned: if the membrane is pulled, the tuning will be higher, and, conversely, if the membrane is released, the tuning will be lower. In order not to interfere with the free vibration of the membrane in the center of the boiler, there is a hole at the bottom for air movement.

The body of the timpani is made of copper, brass or aluminum, and they are mounted on a stand - a tripod.

In an orchestra, timpani are used in a set of two, three, four or more cauldrons of various sizes. The diameter of modern timpani is from 550 to 700 mm.

There are screw, mechanical and pedal timpani. The most common are pedal ones, since with one press of the pedal you can, without interrupting the game, tune the instrument to the desired key.

The sound volume of a timpani is approximately a fifth. The large timpani is tuned lower than all the others. The sound range of the instrument is from F of the large octave to F of the small octave. The middle timpani has a sound range from B large octave to F small octave. Small timpani - from D small octave to A small octave.

Drums are instruments with an indefinite pitch. There are small and large orchestral drums, small and large pop drums, tom tenor, tom bass, and bongos.

The large orchestral drum is a cylindrical body, covered on both sides with leather or plastic. The bass drum has a powerful, low and dull sound, which is produced with a wooden mallet with a ball-shaped tip made of felt or felt. Currently, instead of expensive parchment skin, polymer film has been used for drum membranes, which has higher strength indicators and better musical and acoustic properties.

The membranes of the drums are secured with two rims and tension screws located around the circumference of the instrument body. The drum body is made of sheet steel or plywood, lined with artistic celluloid. Dimensions 680x365 mm.

The large stage drum has a shape and design similar to the orchestra drum. Its dimensions are 580x350 mm.

The small orchestral drum has the appearance of a low cylinder, covered on both sides with leather or plastic. The membranes (membranes) are attached to the body using two rims and tightening screws.

To give the drum a specific sound, special strings or spirals (a snare) are stretched over the lower membrane, which are activated using a reset mechanism.

The use of synthetic membranes in drums has significantly improved their musical and acoustic capabilities, operational reliability, service life and marketable condition. The dimensions of the small orchestra drum are 340x170 mm.

Small orchestral drums are included in military brass bands and are also used in symphony orchestras.

The small pop drum has the same structure as the orchestra drum. Its dimensions are 356x118 mm.

The tom-tom-tenor drum and the tom-tom-bass drum do not differ in design and are used in pop drum sets. The tom-tenor drum is attached with a bracket to the bass drum, the tom-tom-bass drum is installed on the floor on a special stand.

Bongs are small drums with leather or plastic stretched on one side. They are part of the pop drum set. The bongs are connected to each other by adapters.

A tambourine is a hoop (side) with leather or plastic stretched on one side. Special slots are made in the body of the hoop, in which brass plates are fixed, looking like small orchestral plates. Sometimes, inside the hoop, small bells and rings are strung on stretched strings or spirals. All this tinkles at the slightest touch of the instrument, creating a unique sound. The membrane is struck with the ends of the fingers or the base of the palm of the right hand.

Tambourines are used for rhythmic accompaniment of dances and songs. In the East, where the art of playing the tambourine has reached virtuoso mastery, solo playing on this instrument is common. The Azerbaijani tambourine is called def, dyaf or gaval, the Armenian - daf or haval, the Georgian - dayra, the Uzbek and Tajik - doira.

1.2 Plate percussion instruments

Plate percussion instruments with a certain pitch include the xylophone, metallophone, marim-baphone (marimba), vibraphone, bells, and bells.

Xylophone -- is a set of wooden blocks different sizes, corresponding to sounds of different pitches. The blocks are made from rosewood, maple, walnut, and spruce. They are arranged parallel in four rows in order of the chromatic scale. The blocks are attached to strong laces and separated by springs. The cord passes through the holes in the blocks. To play, the xylophone is laid out on a small table on rubber pads located along the cords of the instrument.

Two people play the xylophone wooden chopsticks with a thickening at the end. The xylophone is used both for solo playing and in orchestra.

The range of the xylophone is from the small octave to the fourth octave.

Metallophones are similar to xylophones, only the sound plates are made of metal (brass or bronze).

Marimbaphones (marimba) are a percussion musical instrument, the sounding elements of which are wooden plates, and tubular metal resonators are installed on it to enhance the sound.

Marimba has a soft, rich timbre, has a sound range of four octaves: from a note to a small octave to a note to a fourth octave.

The playing plates are made of rosewood wood, which ensures high musical and acoustic properties of the instrument. The plates are located on the frame in two rows. The first row contains plates of basic tones, the second row contains plates of halftones. Resonators (metal tubes with plugs) installed on the frame in two rows are tuned to the sound frequency of the corresponding plates.

The main components of the marimba are mounted on a support trolley with wheels, the frame of which is made of aluminum, which ensures minimal weight and sufficient strength.

Marimba can be used by both professional musicians and for educational purposes.

The vibraphone is a set of chromatically tuned aluminum plates arranged in two rows, similar to a piano keyboard. The plates are installed on a high frame (table) and fastened with laces. Under each plate in the center there are cylindrical resonators of the appropriate size. Through all the resonators in the upper part there are axes on which the fan impellers - fans - are mounted.

A portable silent electric motor is mounted on the side of the frame, which evenly rotates the impellers throughout the entire playing of the instrument. In this way vibration is achieved. The instrument has a damping device connected to a pedal under the stand to dampen the sound with your foot. The vibraphone is played with two, three, sometimes four or even longer sticks with rubber balls at the ends.

The range of the vibraphone is from F of the small octave to F of the third octave or from C to the first octave to A of the third octave.

The vibraphone is used in a symphony orchestra, but more often in pop orchestra or as a solo instrument.

Bells are a set of percussion instruments that are used in opera and symphony orchestras to imitate bell ringing. The bell consists of a set of 12 to 18 cylindrical pipes, tuned chromatically.

Pipes are usually nickel-plated brass or chrome-plated steel with a diameter of 25-38 mm. They are suspended in a frame-rack about 2 m high. The sound is produced by hitting the pipes with a wooden hammer. The bells are equipped with a pedal-damper device to dampen the sound. The range of bells is 1-11/2 octaves, usually from F to the major octave.

Bells are a percussion musical instrument that consists of 23-25 chromatically tuned metal plates placed in a flat box in two rows in steps. Top row corresponds to black, and the bottom row corresponds to white piano keys.

The sound range of the bells is equal to two octaves: from the note up to the first octave to the note up to the third octave and depends on the number of records.

1.3 Self-sounding percussion instruments

Self-sounding percussion instruments include: cymbals, triangles, tom-toms, castanets, maracas, rattles, etc.

Plates are metal discs made of brass or nickel silver. The disks of the cymbals are given a somewhat spherical shape, and leather straps are attached to the center.

When the cymbals hit each other, a long ringing sound is produced. Sometimes one cymbal is used and the sound is produced by striking a stick or metal brush. They produce orchestral cymbals, Charleston cymbals, and gong cymbals. The cymbals sound sharply and ringingly.

An orchestra triangle is a steel rod, which is given an open triangular shape. When playing, the triangle is hung freely and struck with a metal stick, performing various rhythmic patterns.

The sound of the triangle is bright and ringing. The triangle is used in various orchestras and ensembles. Orchestral triangles with two steel sticks are produced.

A tam-tam or gong is a bronze disk with curved edges, the center of which is struck with a felt-tipped mallet, the sound of the gong is deep, thick and dark, reaching full strength not immediately after the impact, but gradually.

Castanets are a folk instrument in Spain. Castanets have the shape of shells, facing each other with a concave (spherical) side and connected with a cord. They are made from hardwood and plastic. Double and single castanets are produced.

Maracas are balls made of wood or plastic filled with a small number of small pieces of metal (shot), the outside of the maracas is colorfully decorated. For ease of holding while playing, they are equipped with a handle.

Shaking the maracas produces various rhythmic patterns.

Maracas are used in orchestras, but more often in pop ensembles.

Rattles are sets of small plates mounted on a wooden plate.

1.4 Variety ensemble drum kit

To fully study a group of percussion musical instruments, a specialist involved in their implementation needs to know the composition of drum sets (sets). The most common composition of drum sets is as follows: bass drum, snare drum, double Charleston cymbal (hey-hat), single large cymbal, single small cymbal, bongos, tom-tom bass, tom-tom tenor, tom-tom alto.

A large drum is placed on the floor directly in front of the performer; it has support legs for stability. Tom-tom tenor and tom-tom alto drums can be mounted on top of the drum using brackets; in addition, a stand for an orchestral cymbal is provided on the bass drum. The brackets that secure the tom-tom tenor and tom-tom alto on the bass drum regulate their height.

An integral part of the bass drum is a mechanical pedal, with the help of which the performer extracts sound from the drum.

The drum set must include a small pop drum, which is mounted on a special stand with three clamps: two folding and one retractable. The stand is installed on the floor; it is a stand equipped with a locking device for fixing in a given position and adjusting the tilt of the snare drum.

The snare drum has a release device as well as a muffler, which are used to adjust the timbre of the sound.

A drum set can simultaneously include several different sized tom-tom drums, tom-tom altos and tom-tom tenors. The tom-tom bass is installed on the right side of the performer and has legs with which you can adjust the height of the instrument.

The bong drums included in the drum kit are placed on a separate stand.

The drum set also includes orchestral cymbals with a stand, a mechanical Charleston cymbal stand, and a chair.

Accompanying instruments of the drum set are maracas, castanets, triangles, as well as other noise instruments.

Spare parts and accessories for percussion instruments

Spare parts and accessories for percussion instruments include: snare drum stands, orchestra cymbal stands, mechanical pedal stand for orchestral Charleston cymbals, mechanical beater for bass drum, timpani sticks, snare drum sticks, pop drum sticks, orchestra brushes, bass drum beaters, bass drum leather, straps, cases.

In percussion musical instruments, sound is produced by striking some device or individual parts instrument against each other.

Percussion instruments are divided into membrane, plate, and self-sounding.

Membranous instruments include instruments in which the source of sound is a stretched membrane (timpani, drums), the sound is produced by striking the membrane with some device (for example, a mallet). In plate instruments (xylophones, etc.), wooden or metal plates or bars are used as the sounding body.

In self-sounding instruments (cymbals, castanets, etc.), the source of sound is the instrument itself or its body.

Percussion musical instruments are instruments whose sounding bodies are excited by striking or shaking.

According to the source of sound, percussion instruments are divided into:

* plate - in them the source of sound is wooden and metal plates, bars or tubes, which the musician strikes with sticks (xylophone, metallophone, bells);

* membranous - a stretched membrane sounds in them - a membrane (timpani, drum, tambourine, etc.). Timpani are a set of several metal cauldrons of different sizes, covered with a leather membrane on top. The tension of the membrane can be changed with a special device, and the pitch of the sounds produced by the mallet changes;

* self-sounding - in these instruments the source of sound is the body itself (cymbals, triangles, castanets, maracas)

2. THE ROLE OF PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS IN A MODERN ORCHESTRA

The fourth unit of the modern symphony orchestra is percussion instruments. They bear no resemblance to human voice and they don’t say anything to his inner feeling in a language he understands. Their measured and more or less definite sounds, their tinkling and crackling, have rather a “rhythmic” meaning.

Their melodic duties are extremely limited, and their entire being is deeply rooted in the nature of dance in the broadest meaning of this concept. It is as such that some of the percussion instruments were used in ancient times and were widely used not only by the peoples of the Mediterranean and Asian East, but also operated, apparently, among all the so-called “primitive peoples” in general.

Some tinkling and ringing percussion instruments were used in Ancient Greece And Ancient Rome as instruments accompanying dances and dances, but not a single percussion instrument from the family of drums was allowed by them into the field of military music. These instruments had a particularly wide application in the life of ancient Jews and Arabs, where they performed not only civil duties, but also military ones.

On the contrary, among peoples modern Europe V military music percussion instruments accepted various types where they are very important. However, the melodic poverty of percussion instruments did not prevent them from penetrating the opera, ballet and symphony orchestras, where they no longer occupy the last place.

However, in art music European peoples there was a time when access to these instruments was almost closed to the orchestra and, with the exception of timpani, they made their way into symphonic music through the opera and ballet orchestra, or, as they would say now, through the “dramatic music” orchestra.

In history " cultural life» of humanity, percussion instruments arose earlier than all other musical instruments in general. However, this did not prevent percussion instruments from being relegated to the background of the orchestra at the time of its emergence and the first steps of its development. And this is all the more surprising since it is still impossible to deny the enormous “aesthetic” significance of percussion instruments in art music.

The history of percussion instruments is not very exciting. All those “instruments for producing measured noise” that all primitive peoples used to accompany their warlike and religious dances, in the beginning did not go further than simple tablets and wretched drums. And only much later among many tribes of Central Africa and among some peoples Far East instruments appeared that served as worthy examples for the creation of more modern European percussion instruments, which were already accepted everywhere.

With regard to musical qualities, all percussion instruments are very simply and naturally divided into two types or genera. Some produce a sound of a certain pitch and therefore quite naturally enter into the harmonic and melodic basis of the work, while others, capable of producing a more or less pleasant or characteristic noise, perform purely rhythmic and decorative duties in the very broad meaning words. In addition, it takes part in the construction of percussion instruments. various material and, in accordance with this feature, they can be divided into instruments “with skin” or “webbed”, and “self-sounding”, in the construction of which various types and varieties of metal, wood and, more recently, glass take part. Kurt Sachs, assigning them a not very successful and extremely ugly to the ear definition - idiophones, obviously loses sight of what they are. concept in the meaning of “peculiar-sounding” can, in essence, be applied on equal grounds: applied to any musical instrument or their family.

In an orchestral score, the community of percussion instruments is usually placed in the very middle, between the brass and bowed instruments. With the participation of harp, piano, celesta and all other plucked strings or keyboard instruments, the drums always retain their place and are then located immediately after the brass, giving way after themselves to all the “decorating” or “random” voices of the orchestra.

The absurd way of writing percussion instruments below the bowed quintet must be resolutely condemned as very inconvenient, in no way justifiable and extremely ugly. It initially appeared in ancient scores, then acquired a more isolated position in the depths of brass band and, having an insignificant justification, now, however, violated and completely overcome, it was accepted by some composers who wanted to attract attention to themselves with at least something and at any cost.

But the worst thing is that this strange innovation turned out to be all the stronger and more dangerous because some publishing houses met such composers halfway and published their scores according to the “new model”. Fortunately, there were not so many such “publishing gems” and they were mostly weak in their artistic merits works, were drowned in an abundance of truly excellent examples of diverse creative heritage of all peoples.

The only place where the indicated method of presentation now reigns percussion instruments at the very bottom of the score - there is variety ensemble. But there it is generally customary to arrange all the instruments differently, guided only by the altitude of the instruments involved. In those distant times, when there were only timpani in the orchestra, it was customary to place them above all other instruments, obviously believing that such a presentation was more convenient. But in those years the score was composed in general in a somewhat unusual way, which now there is no need to remember. We must agree that modern way The presentation-score is quite simple and convenient, and therefore there is no point in engaging in all sorts of fabrications, which have just been discussed in detail.

As already mentioned, all percussion instruments are divided into instruments with a certain pitch and instruments without a certain pitch. At present, such a distinction is sometimes disputed, although all proposals made in this direction rather come down to confusion and deliberately emphasizing the essence of this extremely clear and simple position, in which there is not even a direct need to remember the taken-for-granted concept of pitch every time.

In an orchestra, instruments “with a definite sound” mean, first of all, a five-line staff or stave, and instruments “with an indefinite sound” mean a conventional method of musical notation - a “hook” or “thread”, that is, one single ruler on which The note heads represent only the required rhythmic pattern. This transformation, made very opportunely, was intended to gain space and, with a significant number of percussion instruments, to simplify their presentation.

However, not so long ago, for all percussion instruments “without a specific sound”, ordinary staves with the keys Sol and Fa were adopted, and with the conditional placement of note heads between the emphases. The inconvenience of such a recording was immediately felt as soon as the number percussion instruments increased to “astronomical limits”, and the composers themselves who used this method of presentation got lost in the insufficiently developed order of their outline.

But what brought about the combination of keys and threads is very difficult to say. Most likely, the matter began with a typo, which then attracted the attention of some composers, who began to set the treble clef on a string intended for relatively high percussion instruments, and the Fa clef for relatively low ones.

Is it necessary to talk here about the nonsense and complete inconsistency of such a presentation? As far as is known, keys on a string were first encountered in the scores of Anton Rubinstein, published in Germany, which were undoubted typos, and much later were revived in the scores of the Flemish composer Arthur Meulemans (1884-?), who adopted the rule of supplying the middle thread with the key Sol, and the very low - key Fa. This presentation looks especially wild in those cases when, between two threads not marked with keys, one appears with the key Fa. In this sense, the Belgian composer Francis de Bourguignon (1890-?) turned out to be more consistent, providing a key for each thread participating in the score.

French publishing houses adopted a special “key” for percussion instruments in the form of two vertical thick bars resembling Latin letter“H” and crossing out the thread at the accolade itself. There is nothing to object to such an event, as long as it ultimately leads to “some external completeness of the orchestral score in general.

However, it would be quite fair to recognize all these eccentricities as equal to zero in the face of the “disorder” that still exists to this day in the presentation of percussion instruments. Rimsky-Korsakov also expressed the idea that all self-sounding instruments or, as he calls them, “percussion and ringing without a specific sound,” can be considered as high - triangle, castanets, bells, medium - tambourine, rods, snare drum, cymbals, and like low-bass drum and tam-tam, “meaning by this their ability to combine with the corresponding areas of the orchestral scale in instruments with sounds of a certain pitch.” Leaving aside some details, due to which “rods” should be excluded from the composition of percussion instruments, as “an accessory of percussion instruments”, but not a percussion instrument in proper meaning, Rimsky-Korsakov's observation remains in full force to this day.

Starting from this assumption and supplementing it with all the latest percussion instruments, it would be considered most reasonable to arrange all percussion instruments in order of their pitch and write “high” above “medium”, and “medium” above “low”. However, there is no unanimity among composers and the presentation of percussion instruments is more than arbitrary.

This situation can be explained to a lesser extent only by the accidental participation of percussion instruments, and to a greater extent by the complete disregard of the composers themselves and the bad habits they have acquired or erroneous premises. The only justification for such an “instrumental hodgepodge” can be the desire to present the entire available composition of those operating in in this case percussion instruments, in the order of parts, when each performer is assigned strictly defined instruments. Finding fault with the words, such a presentation has more meaning in the parts of the drummers themselves, and in the score it is useful only when it is maintained with “pedantic precision.”

Returning to the issue of presentation of percussion instruments, the desire of many composers, including quite prominent ones, to place the cymbals and bass drum immediately after the timpani, and the triangle, bells and xylophone - below the latter, must be considered unsuccessful. There are, of course, no sufficient grounds for such a solution to the problem, and all this can be attributed to an unjustified desire to be “original.” The simplest and most natural, and in light of the exorbitant number of percussion instruments operating in a modern orchestra, the most reasonable can be considered the placement of all percussion instruments using a staff above those using a string.

In each individual association it would, of course, be desirable to adhere to the views of Rimsky-Korsakov and place the votes in accordance with their relative heights. For these reasons, after the timpani, which hold their primacy according to the “original tradition,” it would be possible to place bells, vibraphone and tubaphone above the xylophone and marimba. In instruments without a specific sound, this distribution will be somewhat more complicated due to large quantity participants, but in this case, nothing will prevent the composer from adhering to the well-known rules, about which much has already been said above.

One must think that determining the relative pitch of a self-sounding instrument, in general, does not cause misunderstandings, and since this is so, it does not cause any; difficulties for its implementation. Only bells are usually placed below all percussion instruments, since their part is most often content with the conventional outline of notes and their rhythmic duration, and not with a full “ringing”, as is usually done in the corresponding recordings. A set of "Italian" or "Japanese" bells, which have the appearance of long metal pipes, requires an ordinary five-line staff, placed below all other instruments of "a certain sound." Consequently, the bells here also serve as a frame for the staves, united by one common feature“certainty” and “uncertainty” sound. Otherwise, there are no peculiarities in the recording of percussion instruments, and if for some reason they appear, they will be mentioned in the appropriate place.

In a modern symphony orchestra, percussion instruments serve only two purposes - rhythmic to maintain clarity and sharpness of movement, and decorative in itself. in a broad sense, when the author, using percussion instruments, contributes to the creation of enchanting sound pictures or “mood”, full of excitement, fervor or impetuosity.

From what has been said, of course, it is clear that percussion instruments must be used with great care, taste and moderation. The varied sonority of percussion instruments can quickly tire the attention of listeners, and therefore the author must always remember what his percussion instruments are doing. Only timpani alone enjoy certain advantages, but even these can be negated by excessive excesses.

The classics paid a lot of attention to percussion instruments, but never elevated them to the level of the only figures in the orchestra. If something similar happened, the performance of the drums was most often limited to only a few beats of a bar or was content with an extremely insignificant duration of the entire formation.

From Russian musicians with drums alone, as an introduction to a very rich and expressive music, used in the Spanish Capriccio by Rimsky-Korsakov, but most often solo percussion instruments are found in “dramatic music” or in ballet, when the author wants to create a particularly sharp, unusual or “unprecedented sensation.”

This is exactly what Sergei Prokofiev did in a musical performance Egyptian nights. Here, the sonority of percussion instruments accompanies the scene of commotion in the house of Cleopatra’s father, to which the author prefaces the title “Anxiety.” Victor Oransky (1899-1953) also did not refuse the services of percussion instruments. He had the opportunity to use this amazing sonority in the ballet Three Fat Men, where he entrusted the accompaniment of the sharp rhythmic outline of the “eccentric dance” to the percussion alone.

Finally, quite recently, the services of some percussion instruments, used in an intricate sequence of “dynamic<оттенков», воспользовался также и Глиер в одном небольшом отрывке новой постановки балета Красный мак. Но как уже ясно из всего сказанного такое толкование ударных явилось уже в полном смысле слова достоянием современности, когда композиторы, руководимые какими-нибудь «особыми» соображениями, заставляли оркестр умолкнуть, чтобы дать полный простор «ударному царству».

The French, laughing at such an “artistic revelation”, rather venomously ask whether this is where the new French word bruisme arose, as a derivative of brui - “noise”. There is no equivalent concept in the Russian language, but the Orchestras themselves have already taken care of a new name for such music, which they rather angrily dubbed the definition of “percussion thresher”. In one of his early symphonic works, Alexander Cherepnin dedicated an entire part to such an “ensemble.” There was already an opportunity to talk a little about this work about the connection with the use of a bowed quintet as percussion instruments, and therefore there is no urgent need to return to it again. Shostakovich also paid tribute to the unfortunate “shock” delusion in those days when his creative worldview was not yet sufficiently stable and mature.

The “onomatopoeic” side of the matter stands completely aside, when the author, with the smallest number of actual percussion instruments actually employed, has a desire, or more precisely, an artistic need to create only a “feeling of percussion” in all music, intended mainly for strings and woodwind instruments.

One such example, extremely witty, funny and sounds excellent “in an orchestra”, if the composition of the instruments participating in it can generally be defined by this very concept, is found in Oransky’s ballet Three Fat Men and is called “Patrol”.

But the most outrageous example of musical formalism remains the work written by Edgard Varèse (1885-?). It is designed for thirteen performers, intended for two combinations of percussion instruments and called by the author lonisation, which means “Saturation”. This “work” involves only sharp-sounding percussion instruments and piano.

However, this latter is also used as a “percussion instrument” and the performer acts on it according to the newest “American method” of Henry Kawel (1897-?), who, as is known, proposed to play only with his elbows, spread across the entire width of the keyboard.

According to the press of that time - and this happened in the thirties of the current century - Parisian listeners, brought to a state of wild frenzy by this work, urgently demanded its repetition, which was immediately carried out. Without saying a bad word, the history of the modern orchestra has not yet seen a second such out-of-the-ordinary “case.”

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Types of musical instruments

The world of music has its own order and classification. Tools are divided into large groups: strings, keyboards, percussion, winds, and also reed. Which of them appeared earlier and which later is now difficult to say for sure. But already ancient people who shot from a bow noticed that a drawn bowstring sounds, reed tubes, when blown into them, make whistling sounds, and it is convenient to beat the rhythm on any surface with all available means. These objects became the ancestors of string, wind and percussion instruments, already known in Ancient Greece. Reed ones appeared just as long ago, but keyboards were invented a little later. Let's look at these main groups.

Brass

In wind instruments, sound is produced by vibrations of a column of air enclosed inside a tube. The greater the volume of air, the lower the sound it produces.

Wind instruments are divided into two large groups: wooden And copper. Wooden - flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, alpine horn... - are a straight tube with side holes. By closing or opening the holes with their fingers, the musician can shorten the column of air and change the pitch of the sound. Modern instruments are often made from materials other than wood, but are traditionally called wooden.

Copper wind instruments set the tone for any orchestra, from brass to symphony. Trumpet, horn, trombone, tuba, helicon, a whole family of saxhorns (baritone, tenor, alto) are typical representatives of this loudest group of instruments. Later, the saxophone appeared - the king of jazz.

The pitch of the sound in brass instruments changes due to the force of the air blown and the position of the lips. Without additional valves, such a pipe can produce only a limited number of sounds - a natural scale. To expand the range of sound and the ability to reach all sounds, a system of valves was invented - valves that change the height of the air column (like side holes on wooden ones). Copper pipes that are too long, unlike wooden ones, can be rolled into a more compact shape. Horn, tuba, helicon are examples of rolled pipes.

Strings

The bow string can be considered a prototype of string instruments - one of the most important groups of any orchestra. The sound here is produced by a vibrating string. To amplify the sound, strings began to be pulled over a hollow body - this is how the lute and mandolin, cymbals, harp were born... and the guitar that we know well.

The string group is divided into two main subgroups: bowed And plucked tools. Bowed violins include all types of violins: violins, violas, cellos and huge double basses. The sound from them is extracted with a bow, which is drawn along the stretched strings. But for plucked bows, a bow is not needed: the musician plucks the string with his fingers, causing it to vibrate. Guitar, balalaika, lute are plucked instruments. Just like the beautiful harp, which makes such gentle cooing sounds. But is the double bass a bowed or plucked instrument? Formally, it belongs to the bowed instrument, but often, especially in jazz, it is played with plucked strings.

Keyboards

If the fingers striking the strings are replaced with hammers, and the hammers are set in motion using keys, the result will be keyboards tools. The first keyboards - clavichords and harpsichords- appeared in the Middle Ages. They sounded quite quietly, but very tender and romantic. And at the beginning of the 18th century they invented piano- an instrument that could be played both loudly (forte) and quietly (piano). The long name is usually shortened to the more familiar "piano". The older brother of the piano - what's up, the brother is the king! - that’s what it’s called: piano. This is no longer an instrument for small apartments, but for concert halls.

The keyboard includes the largest one - and one of the most ancient! - musical instruments: organ. This is no longer a percussion keyboard, like a piano and grand piano, but keyboard and wind instrument: not the musician's lungs, but a blowing machine that creates air flow into a system of tubes. This huge system is controlled by a complex control panel, which has everything: from a manual (that is, manual) keyboard to pedals and register switches. And how could it be otherwise: organs consist of tens of thousands of individual tubes of various sizes! But their range is enormous: each tube can sound only one note, but when there are thousands of them...

Drums

The oldest musical instruments were drums. It was the tapping of rhythm that was the first prehistoric music. The sound can be produced by a stretched membrane (drum, tambourine, oriental darbuka...) or the body of the instrument itself: triangles, cymbals, gongs, castanets and other knockers and rattles. A special group consists of percussion instruments that produce a sound of a certain pitch: timpani, bells, xylophones. You can already play a melody on them. Percussion ensembles consisting only of percussion instruments stage entire concerts!

Reed

Is there any other way to extract sound? Can. If one end of a plate made of wood or metal is fixed, and the other is left free and forced to vibrate, then we get the simplest reed - the basis of reed instruments. If there is only one tongue, we get Jew's harp. Reeds include harmonicas, button accordions, accordions and their miniature model - harmonica.

harmonica

You can see keys on the button accordion and accordion, so they are considered both keyboard and reed. Some wind instruments are also reeded: for example, in the already familiar clarinet and bassoon, the reed is hidden inside the pipe. Therefore, the division of tools into these types is arbitrary: there are many tools mixed type.

In the 20th century, the friendly musical family was replenished with another large family: electronic instruments. The sound in them is created artificially using electronic circuits, and the first example was the legendary theremin, created back in 1919. Electronic synthesizers can imitate the sound of any instrument and even... play themselves. If, of course, someone draws up a program. :)

Dividing instruments into these groups is just one way of classification. There are many others: for example, the Chinese grouped tools depending on the material from which they were made: wood, metal, silk and even stone... Methods of classification are not so important. It is much more important to be able to recognize instruments both by appearance and sound. This is what we will learn.

Percussion is the largest family of musical instruments today. The sound from instruments of this type is extracted by striking the surface of the sounding body. The sound body can take many shapes and be made from a variety of materials. In addition, instead of striking, shaking is allowed - essentially, indirect striking with sticks, hammers or beaters on the same sounding body.

The history of the appearance of the first percussion instruments

Percussion instruments are among the most ancient. The first prototype of a percussion instrument appeared when primitive people, striking stone against stone, created a kind of rhythm for ritual dances or simply in everyday household chores (crushing nuts, grinding grain, etc.).

In fact, any device that produces measured noise can be called a percussion instrument. At first it was stones or sticks, planks. Later, the idea came to tap the rhythm on skin stretched over a hollow body - the first drums.

When excavating tribal settlement sites in Central Africa and the Far East, archaeologists discovered samples that were more similar to modern ones. Obviously, it was they who at one time served as an example for the creation of European percussion instruments.

Functional features of percussion instruments

The sound produced by percussion instruments comes from primitive rhythmic melodies. Clinking and ringing prototypes of modern percussion musical instruments were used during ritual dances by the peoples of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, Asian countries.

But representatives of the ancient Arab states used percussion instruments, in particular drums, in military campaigns. European peoples adopted this tradition much later. Poorly melodious, but loud and rhythmic, drums became an invariable accompaniment of military marches and anthems.

And in the orchestra, percussion instruments have found quite wide application. At first, he was denied access to European academic music. Gradually, drums found their use in dramatic music within opera and ballet orchestras, and only then did they find their way into symphony orchestras. But today it is difficult to imagine an orchestra without drums, timpani, 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 tam-tam drum, as well as triangle, cymbals, and many others.

Nefteyugansk district municipal budgetary institution of additional education "Children's music school"

Methodological development

"Percussion instruments. Features and characteristics"

By class of percussion instruments)

Percussion teacher Kayumov A.M.

gp. Poikovsky

2017

Percussion instruments. Features and characteristics.

The history of the emergence and development of percussion instruments goes back to ancient times, since they were born before all musical instruments.

Initially, percussion instruments were used as signal or religious instruments. Cult instruments were also considered sacred instruments. Since ancient times, kettledrums and drums were used during military campaigns and ceremonies; they were continuous attributes of all kinds of folk festivals, processions, and accompanied dance and song.

With the emergence of symphonic music, percussion instruments gradually became part of opera and symphony orchestras, playing the role of accompanying instruments. They either emphasized the downbeat or rhythmic figure, or enhanced the sound of the orchestra's tutti.

The development of percussion instruments proceeded in close connection with the development of other instruments and groups of the orchestra, as well as the basic expressive means of music: melody, harmony, rhythm. Currently, the instrumentation of the orchestra's percussion group has greatly expanded, and the role of the percussion group as a whole has increased enormously. In an orchestra, percussion instruments most often perform a rhythmic function, maintaining clarity and sharpness of movement. They also add lushness and a very special flavor to the orchestral sound, enriching the colorful palette of the modern orchestra.

Despite the fact that the melodic means of percussion instruments are very limited, often composers skillfully using the unique sound of percussion instruments entrust them with the most important parts. Percussion instruments sometimes take the most active part in revealing the theme of the work, holding the attention of listeners throughout the work of a large form or a large fragment of it. For example, in “Bolero” by M. Ravel, one of the main artistic elements of the music is the sharp ostinato rhythmic figure of the snare drum. Also, D. Shostakovich, in the central episode of the first part of the seventh symphony, used the sound of instruments, depicting a picture of an enemy invasion.

Percussion instruments are divided among themselves into instruments with a certain pitch, such as timpani, bells, lyre, tubular bells, vibraphone, tubaphone, marimba, etc. and instruments of indefinite pitch, for example, triangle, castanets, clappers, maracas, tambourine, Brazilian pandeira, rattle, wooden box, snare drum.

Percussion instruments with a specific pitch

Lyra - a type of bells used in brass bands. The lyre is a set of metal plates mounted on a lyre-shaped frame in one or two rows. The chromatically filled range of the lyre ranges from one to two octaves.

In a single-row arrangement, the plates are mounted horizontally on two slats that run through the middle of the frame. The range of the modern single-row lyre is 1.5 octaves, from G of the 1st octave to G of the 3rd octave. In a double-row arrangement, similar to a bell keyboard, the records are mounted horizontally on four slats that run down the middle of the frame.

The range of the double-row lyre is 2 octaves, from the 1st octave to the 3rd A. The lyre is notated in treble clef and sounds an octave higher.

The lyre is played by striking the records with wooden sticks with balls at the ends. When playing on the march, the lyre is held with the left hand by the upper part of the handle, and the lower end of the handle is inserted into the socket of a leather belt, which is worn around the neck. In the right hand they hold a hammer, with which they hit the records. The sound of the lyre is the same as that of orchestral bells. However, its technical capabilities are much less. The lyre is used mainly for playing simple marching melodies. When playing the lyre in stationary conditions, it is placed on a special stand, and then it can be played with two hands, as with ordinary bells.

Since the end of the 19th century, orchestras have usedtubular bells, which gradually replaced their expensive and massive prototypes.

Tubular bells are long copper or steel pipes with a diameter of 40-50 mm, suspended on a special frame. They are precisely tuned to a specific sound in a chromatically filled range from C 1st octave to F 2nd octave.

Bells are usually notated in the treble clef and sound an octave lower. The sound is produced by hitting a wooden hammer with a barrel-shaped head covered with leather or rubber. The bells sound quite clean and transparent, more reminiscent of the sound of chimes, and fit well with the orchestral mass. To dampen their sound, a pedal damper is used.

In addition to individual sounds, bells play small and simple melodic sequences. It is possible to reproduce double notes and chords; in the latter case, it is desirable to have two performers.

Tremolo can be achieved on a single note and in an interval; On tubular bells, a unique effect is also possible - a long-sounding glissando.

In addition to tubular bells, plate or hemispherical bells are often used, which are also tuned to a certain height.

Vibraphone consists of two rows of metal plates tuned so that they form a chromatic scale. The records are suspended using a cord on a mobile stand-table. Under the plates there are tubular resonators in which blades are mounted, connected by a common metal shaft. A special electric motor rotates a shaft connected to blades that open and close the resonators, which creates dynamic vibration (the effect of periodically increasing and decreasing sounds). Under the plates there is a damper bar connected to a pedal, when pressed the damper bar is pressed against the plates, gently stopping their vibrations.

The sound of the vibraphone is long, vibrating, and gradually decays. The vibraphone is played with two, three or even four flexible reed sticks, at the ends of which there are soft balls covered with folded or felt fabric. To get a soft sound, they play with rebated sticks. For a more precise blow, sticks that are stiffer are used, and when they play without vibration, turning off the motor, they use sticks with wooden heads covered with woolen thread; the sound produced is short-lived, approaching the sound of a metallophone.

The melodic line with vibration, as well as individual sounds and intervals, are performed with two sticks. Vibration, naturally, precludes the performance of virtuoso passages in fast movement, since the individual sounds merge. When performing this kind of passages, a short sound without vibration is achieved by pressing the pedal.

There are two types of vibraphone - concert and orchestral. Their ranges are the same in volume (three octaves, but differ in height; for the concert one from F of the large octave to F of the 2nd octave, and for the orchestral from to the small octave to the 3rd octave).

The vibraphone is notated in treble and bass clefs in real sound.

In the tubephone - an instrument that appeared almost simultaneously with the vibraphone - metal plates were replaced by metal tubes of different sizes. Arranged in four rows, they are tuned in such a way that they form a complete chromatic scale. The middle two rows contain only the sounds of the G major scale, the two outer rows contain all the others. For the convenience of the performer, the sounds F and C sharp are duplicated in all octaves.

The tubes, connected by a cord or string, are laid out on straw rollers. They play the tubaphone with xylophone sticks; its sound is smooth, not too harsh, reminiscent of small bells. Compared to ordinary bells, the tubafon sounds somewhat softer and duller. The sounds of the tubafon do not merge at all due to the rapid attenuation.

Technically, the tubaphone is very flexible and in this sense approaches the xylophone. The techniques for playing the tubaphone and xylophone are the same.

The instrument is notated in treble clef in real sound.

The tubafon is rarely found in musical literature, and its capabilities have so far been poorly used. The reason may be the insufficient dynamic amplitude of the instrument, which makes nuance difficult, and a somewhat dull timbre. A. Khachaturian very accurately used the tubaphone in the “Dance of the Girls” from the ballet “Gayane”.

Marimba - wooden percussion instrument. This is a type of xylophone with plates made of rosewood or amaranth wood, only larger in size and with resonators.

The birthplace of the marimba is Africa and South America, where it is still widespread among local residents.

The modern marimba consists of two rows of wooden plates, tuned according to the chromatic scale and located on a wooden base frame. The frame is attached to a four-wheeled stand (table). Metal tubular resonators are located under the plates. The wooden plates of the marimba are slightly larger than the plates of an ordinary xylophone (width 5 cm, thickness 2.5 cm).

The marimba is played with two, three or four sticks with plastic balls of varying densities at the end. There are several varieties of marimbas, differing in pitch.

The playing techniques are the same as on the xylophone.

Percussion instruments with indefinite pitch

Triangle - a high tessitura percussion instrument. The origin of the triangle is unknown. The triangle appeared first in military bands, and then, in the late 17th and early 19th centuries, in opera orchestras. Later he joined the symphony orchestra, where he firmly established himself. Currently, the triangle is used in orchestras of any composition.

The triangle is a steel rod (8-10 mm cross-section), bent in the form of an equilateral triangle, the ends of which are not closed. Triangles come in different sizes, but the most common instruments are of the following standards: large, with a base of 25 cm, medium with a base of 29 cm, small, with a base of 15 cm. Small triangles sound high, large triangles sound low.

The triangle is suspended on a gut string or just a gut string, but not on a rope or a belt, since the latter muffle the sound of the instrument.

The triangle is played with a metal stick 22 cm long. Without a handle, since it also somewhat muffles the sound of the instrument. Different sticks are used. To perform pianissimo, take a thin stick with a diameter of 2.5 mm. To perform mezzo piano, sticks with a diameter of 4 mm are used, and for playing fortissimo, sticks of 6 mm are used.

The sound of the triangle is clean and transparent. It can always be heard in the orchestra, cutting through even a powerful tutti with its sound. When playing a triangle, it is held in the left hand by the vein; in the right hand they hold a metal stick, which is used to strike in the middle of the base of the triangle. With a faster alternation of blows, the triangle is hung with a hook on the crossbar of the console or a special stand and played with two sticks. With short blows, the sound of the triangle is muffled by the fingers.

The triangle produces simple rhythmic figures and tremolos well. A tremolo is performed with one hand in the upper corner of the triangle. The nuance on the triangle is very flexible; All shades and transitions between them are possible on it.

Castanets is a popular folk percussion instrument, widespread in Spain and southern Italy. Castanets are made of dense wood. They are two wooden shell-shaped slices. Both segments are connected to each other by a cord passed through holes in the upper part of the castanets. A loop is made from the same cord, into which the thumb of the right or left hand is passed, and the convex side of the slice is struck with the remaining fingers. This type of castanets is mainly intended for dancers.

There are also single-sided orchestral castanets, which consist of a small handle. Two cups are attached to the upper part of the shell-shaped handle on both sides using a cord.

Single-sided castanets do not have much sound power. Therefore, double-sided castanets are used to enhance sonority. Two castanets are attached to both ends of the handle.

Orchestral castanets are held in the right hand by the handle and, shaking them, causes the cups to hit each other.

Most often, castanets are used to reproduce characteristic, so-called “Spanish” rhythms (M. Glinka “Aragonese Jota”, “Night in Madrid”).

On castanets it is possible to perform individual strokes and tremolos.

In terms of nuances, the castanet is a little flexible instrument; they are prescribed mainly dynamic shades of forte and mezzo-forte. It is very rare that individual beats or simple rhythmic figures are assigned.

More complex rhythmic figures on castanets are played with snare drum sticks or a bell hammer. To do this, castanets are laid out on a soft base and struck with sticks or hammers.

Scourge - firecracker . This simple instrument dates back to ancient times. It was used by musicians-singers instead of clapping their hands. In symphonic music, the clapperboard is usually used for onomatopoeic purposes.

The clapperboard consists of two long planks 6-8 cm wide and 50-60 cm long. There are handles on the outside of the planks. At one end, the planks are connected to each other using loops or a leather belt so that their opposite ends can diverge freely.

When playing the instrument, the performer holds both boards by the handles. Spreading the free ends of the planks to the sides, he hits them against each other with a sharp movement. The result is a dry and sharp cotton sound, very similar to the cracking of a whip.

This piercing, sharp clap in the orchestra always sounds unexpected and the orchestral color is very impressive.

Maracas - Latin American instrument of Indian origin. The maracas came to European music from Cuban dance orchestras, where it is used quite often as an instrument emphasizing a sharp, syncopated rhythm.

Original Cuban maracas are made from a dried, hollow coconut, inside which small pebbles and olive grains are poured. A handle is attached to the bottom.

Modern branded maracas are made from thin-walled wooden, plastic or metal empty balls filled with peas and shot.

Two maracas are usually used for the game; hold them by the handles in both hands. When shaking the instrument, a dull hissing sound is produced.

Pandeira - This is a kind of simplified form of a tambourine - a tambourine without skin. Pandeira is used in the orchestra when they want to emphasize the characteristic metrical side of modern dances.

A pandeira is a rectangular wooden frame, in the middle of which there is a long rail that turns into a handle. Between the sides of the frame and the slats there are four to eight pairs of brass plates mounted on metal rods.

The pandeira is held in the right hand, tilted at an angle of 45 degrees so that all the plates lie on one side. To produce the sound, the palm of the left hand is struck at the base of the thumb. The plates, shaking and hitting each other, produce the effect of a quickly stopping tinkling, since, falling on each other, they are drowned out.

In jazz and pop orchestras, the pandeira is used along with maracas as an instrument that emphasizes rhythm.

Tambourine - one of the oldest instruments, known for more than two thousand years. The tambourine (tambourine) was used to accompany songs, dances, and processions by the peoples of the Far and Middle East, Southern Europe (France, Italy, Spain), nomadic gypsies, and buffoons from Rus'.

The tambourine came to the symphony orchestra in the first half of the 19th century. It was used mainly in folk dance episodes. A modern orchestral tambourine consists of a low wooden rim 5-6 cm wide, covered on one side with leather. The skin is stretched using a thin hoop and tension screws. Tambourines are made in different sizes: small, high-sounding (diameter 22-25 cm); large, low-sounding (diameter 36 cm).

In the wall of the rim there are several oblong oval cutouts into which a pair of small plates are inserted, mounted on metal rods.

When playing the tambourine, the cymbals hit each other, producing rhythmic tinkling sounds. The tambourine, which became predominantly widespread in Rus', differs from the tambourine in that a wire is stretched crosswise inside the rim, on which small bells are suspended, ringing when shaken or struck.

There is no significant difference in sound between a tambourine and a tambourine. In a symphony orchestra, the tambourine is more often used, and in folk instrument orchestras, the tambourine is used. When playing the tambourine, the performer holds it by the rim in his left hand, tilting it slightly so that the cymbals lie along the rim, and with the hand or thumb of his right hand he hits the skin, performing all kinds of rhythmic patterns and tremolo

Box . One of the oldest sacred instruments, which was used even before our era. Wooden boxes were especially widely used among the peoples of the Far East, Africa and South America.

This musical instrument is found under numerous names and in a large number of varieties. The most common and at the same time the simplest variety is the Chinese box.

It has the shape of a brick, which is a wooden block made from ringing varieties of well-dried wood. The sizes of the boxes are different. The upper surface of the boxes is slightly rounded. On the side, in the upper part of the block, at a distance of no more than 1 cm from the surface, a deep slot 1 cm wide is hollowed out almost the entire length.

They play on the box with different wooden sticks, hitting the surface. It produces a rather strong, clicking sound.

In symphonic literature the wooden box very timidly gained its place, while in jazz it took root very quickly. Currently, wooden boxes are widely used in all orchestras.

Ratchet - an ancient instrument common in North Africa, Southeast Asia and among the peoples who inhabited the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. It was used during ritual ceremonies. With its help they drove away evil spirits.

The ratchet has been used in symphony orchestras since the late 18th century. There are many types of ratchets, but their basic structure is as follows: a wooden gear is mounted on a wooden or metal rod, which ends on one side with a handle. The wheel with the rod is placed in a wooden case, in which it rotates freely using a handle. In this case, the gear wheel touches the end of a thin wooden or metal plate fixed in a recess on the wall of the case. Jumping off the teeth, the plate produces a dry crackling sound.

The sound strength of the ratchet depends on the size of the teeth, the elasticity of the plate, the force of pressure of the plate on the teeth and the speed of rotation of the gear wheel. To amplify the sound, double ratchets are made, i.e. rattles with two records sounding in succession.

Ratchets are used in symphonic, jazz and pop music, and music for theatrical productions.

Snare drum . The snare drum, which entered the opera symphony orchestra in the 18th century, has its origins in army signal drums with strings. His role in the orchestra was limited to acutely emphasizing the rhythm. However, gradually the snare drum is gaining a strong place in the symphony orchestra and as an instrument with special expressiveness.

Currently, the snare drum is used very widely in orchestras of any composition and in a wide variety of music.

The snare drum consists of a metal or wooden cylinder-body, covered on top and bottom with well-dressed calfskin or plastic film stretched over the armrests. Metal hoops are placed on top on both sides, which create tension on the surface of the leather or plastic using tightening screws. On the working side of the drum, that is, the side that is played, the leather or head should be of moderate thickness, and on the other side, called the snare, the leather or head should be thinner, which makes it more sensitive to the transmission of vibrations when struck. working side. Either gut strings or thin metal wires curled in spirals are stretched over leather or plastic on the outside of the snare. They give the sound of the snare drum a specific crackling tone.

The snare drum is played with two wooden sticks. The main techniques of the game are single strokes, which are used to create various rhythmic patterns and shakes. The entire playing technique is, in fact, a combination of these two basic techniques, thanks to which the most complex rhythmic figures are obtained on the snare drum.

Conclusion.

Over the past years, the attitude towards the percussion group has qualitatively changed - from the most insignificant it has turned into a concert group and equal in rights along with other orchestral groups. Previously, percussion instruments were used in the overall orchestral mass (especially at moments of build-up and underscoring of climaxes). Nowadays they are more often used independently and in such a way that their timbre does not mix with the timbres of other instruments. Drums now relatively rarely duplicate other orchestral voices, and composers prefer their pure timbres.

Nowadays, many metal instruments with a definite pitch (Vibrafono, Campane, Crotali), as well as a number of metal drums with an indefinite pitch (Gong, Tam-tam, Cow-bells) that are new to the traditional orchestra, have come to the fore in the percussion group. Most modern composers are still quite reserved about bells. The reason for this is probably that bells are inferior in sound quality to antique cymbals (although they have a greater range), not to mention bells and vibraphone. The role of wooden percussion instruments has also grown significantly in the modern orchestra. The previously known xylophone has practically disappeared from the modern orchestra, giving way to the marimbaphone, which has a much wider range and surpasses the xylophone in variety of timbre.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the coloristic boundaries of the symphony orchestra began to expand significantly, and the introduction of new percussion instruments immediately gave composers the means to expand the timbre range of the orchestra. Some of the new instruments quickly exhausted their capabilities, while others took their place in the orchestra firmly and for a long time, proving that they can not only solo, but also be excellent members of ensembles.

In the 20th century, composers for the first time truly felt the expressive possibilities of timbre. This does not mean at all that the expressiveness of timbre was inaccessible to composers

of the 19th century - let us recall at least the characterization of the Countess in “The Queen of Spades” or the opening bars of P. Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony - but timbre expressiveness has always been combined with intonation expressiveness, while in the 20th century composers often use paint that carries greater expressiveness outside direct connection with intonation.

The trend towards expanding the timbre range of instruments has led to the fact that composers began to precisely indicate the methods of sound production on drums. Indeed, percussion instruments (at least most of them) are capable of changing their timbre depending on what and where the sound was extracted from them. For example, striking a cymbal with a timpani stick, a hard felt stick, a soft felt stick, a sponge stick, a wooden stick, or a metal stick causes completely different sound spectra. The timbre of the cymbal also changes depending on the place of impact - along the edge, in the middle part or along the dome. A composer who is attentive to orchestral color always indicates this. The vibraphone, for example, becomes completely different in sonority and flashes with new bright colors when the vibraphone sticks are replaced with hard ones. The entire sound character of this instrument changes when the motor is turned off.

The issue of saving timbres is of great importance in new music, especially if timbre logic is leading. Having got their hands on the enormous timbral richness of the modern orchestra, many composers scatter colors too generously. This captivates the listener, but soon becomes satiated. While saved and applied paint on time can give a strong effect. Let us at least remember what a stunning impression the first introduction of keyboard bells makes in Mozart’s “The Magic Flute”

The problem of saving timbre especially concerns the group of percussion instruments, because the method of sound production and the prevalence of timbre over other components do not give them the opportunity to show the intonation flexibility that string and woodwind instruments have now achieved.

All of the above is in no way an attempt to diminish the role of percussion instruments, but their specificity is such that it requires caution and precision in handling. Wise use of percussion can greatly enrich the score, unwise use can destroy it. Even percussion instruments such as the vibraphone tend to quickly become boring and tire the listener.

This applies even more to drums with an indefinite pitch. But the drum group as a whole is a bright and highly capable expressive tool in the hands of a talented and experienced composer.

Bibliography:

1. Denisov E.V., “Percussion Instruments in the Modern Orchestra,” ed. “Soviet Composer”, M., 1982.

2. Kupinsky K.M., “School of playing percussion instruments,” ed. "Music", M., 1982.

3. Panayotov A.N., “Percussion instruments in modern orchestras”, ed. “Soviet Composer”, M., 1973.