percussion instrument

/pərˈkʌʃɪn ˈɪnstrəmɪnt/

/pəˈkʌʃɪn ˈɪnstrəmənt/

Other forms: percussion instruments

Definitions of percussion instrument

1. noun

   a musical instrument in which the sound is produced by one object striking another
   synonyms: percussive instrument

   types:

   bones, castanets, clappers, finger cymbals

   a percussion instrument consisting of a pair of hollow pieces of wood or bone (usually held between the thumb and fingers) that are made to click together (as by Spanish dancers) in rhythm with the dance

   bell, chime, gong

   a percussion instrument consisting of a set of tuned bells that are struck with a hammer; used as an orchestral instrument

   cymbal

   a percussion instrument consisting of a concave brass disk; makes a loud crashing sound when hit with a drumstick or when two are struck together

   drum, membranophone, tympan

   a musical percussion instrument; usually consists of a hollow cylinder with a membrane stretched across each end

   glockenspiel, orchestral bells

   a percussion instrument consisting of a set of graduated metal bars mounted on a frame and played with small hammers

   gong, tam-tam

   a percussion instrument consisting of a metal plate that is struck with a softheaded drumstick

   kettle, kettledrum, timpani, tympani, tympanum

   a large hemispherical brass or copper percussion instrument with a drumhead that can be tuned by adjusting the tension on it

   lagerphone

   an Australian percussion instrument used for playing bush music; a long stick with bottle caps nailed loosely to it; played by hitting it with a stick or banging it on the ground

   maraca

   a percussion instrument consisting of a hollow gourd containing pebbles or beans; often played in pairs

   forte-piano, piano, pianoforte

   a keyboard instrument that is played by depressing keys that cause hammers to strike tuned strings and produce sounds

   rain stick

   a percussion instrument that is made from a dried cactus branch that is hollowed out and filled with small pebbles and capped at both ends; makes the sound of falling rain when tilted; origin was in Chile where tribesmen used it in ceremonies to bring rain

   steel drum

   a concave percussion instrument made from the metal top of an oil drum; has an array of flattened areas that produce different tones when struck (of Caribbean origin)

   triangle

   a percussion instrument consisting of a metal bar bent in the shape of an open triangle

   vibes, vibraharp, vibraphone

   a percussion instrument similar to a xylophone but having metal bars and rotating disks in the resonators that produce a vibrato sound

   bass drum, gran casa

   a large drum with two heads; makes a sound of indefinite but very low pitch

   bongo, bongo drum

   a small drum; played with the hands

   carillon

   set of bells hung in a bell tower

   grand, grand piano

   a piano with the strings on a horizontal harp-shaped frame; usually supported by three legs

   handbell

   a bell that is held in the hand

   high hat, high-hat cymbal

   cymbals that are operated by a foot pedal

   Pianola, mechanical piano, player piano

   a mechanically operated piano that uses a roll of perforated paper to activate the keys

   side drum, snare, snare drum

   a small drum with two heads and a snare stretched across the lower head

   tabor, tabour

   a small drum with one head of soft calfskin

   tambour

   a drum

   tambourine

   a shallow drum with a single drumhead and with metallic disks in the sides

   tenor drum, tom-tom

   any of various drums with small heads

   timbrel

   small hand drum similar to a tambourine; formerly carried by itinerant jugglers

   upright, upright piano

   a piano with a vertical sounding board

   zill

   one of a pair of small metallic cymbals worn on the thumb and middle finger; used in belly dancing in rhythm with the dance

   type of:

   instrument, musical instrument

   any of various devices or contrivances that can be used to produce musical tones or sounds