Collection: Percussion

Percussion is a broad family of instruments used worldwide to create rhythms and add sonic texture to a wide variety of music. Whether struck, shaken, scraped, or banged, percussion plays an essential role in many musical traditions, from folk music to symphony orchestras, jazz, Latin music, and modern genres such as rock, hip-hop, and electronica.

Percussion instruments fall into two main categories: pitched percussion (such as xylophones or timpani, which produce specific notes) and unpitched percussion (such as drums, maracas, or cymbals, which produce undefined sounds). Popular percussion instruments include drums, congas, bongos, cajons, and djembes, as well as traditional instruments specific to various cultures, such as the daf, tabla, and claves.

Whether adding rhythmic accents or establishing a tempo, percussion is at the heart of many musical compositions, providing dynamism, intensity, and a direct link to the ancestral roots of rhythm. It is essential for giving life and movement to music in almost every style and culture.