Percussion Instruments

• Examples
• Roles

This is a preview of the educational program A Jazz Improvisation Almanac which is under development for the Outside Shore Music Online School. Feel free to browse this preview and learn what you can from it. For a more completed product, though, check out the original freely browsable jazz textbook, A Jazz Improvisation Primer.

Examples

Percussion in jazz is virtually synonymous with the drum set, which is made of a variety of drums and cymbals:

In addition to the drum set, it is not unusual to see congas, timbales, tambourines, triangles, or other types of percussion instruments in jazz as well:

Roles

Note that, while piano, vibraphone, and marimba are technically considered percussion instruments, they are not usually treated as such when we discuss the role of percussion in jazz. The instruments we are talking about here are generally limited in pitch and unable to play melody or harmony. Their main function is to accompany the other musicians with rhythmic support. Percussionists are considered members of the rhythm section. In most cases, they play a regular pattern, with improvised variations. For example, in bebop and similar styles, here is how a drummer would typically play:

Other styles have their own patterns. For example, here is how a drummer might play a mambo:

A percussionist need not adhere to a regular pattern. He may instead try to participate more actively in the interaction between the instruments:

Percussionists solo more rarely than other instruments. Drums solos are almost always unaccompanied:

Copyright 2000 Outside Shore Music
Authored by Marc Sabatella

Percussion Instruments