The PERCUSSION family

 The percussion family is comprised of instruments that must be struck by an object (usually a mallet, a stick, or a hammer) in order to produce a musical sound. Composers have made greater use of percussion color in their scores since the 1880s. Percussion instruments fall into two types (pitched and non-pitched)

PITCHED Percussion (can play specific notes):

• timpani (various-sized kettle drums) 

 • piano and harpsichord (an internal object hits the strings)  

• orchestra bells ("chimes"), glockenspiel (a rack of metal bars), and handbells 

• xylophone (an arranged series of various-sized metal bars)

 • marimba (an arranged series of various-sized wooden bars) 

 • vibraphone ("vibes"—an electric "xylophone" with windpipes) 

NON-PITCHED Percussion(no distinct pitch is created):

• bass drum 

• snare drum 

• castanets 

• cymbals 

• triangle 

• tambourine 

 • gong (a large, suspended "Chinese" cymbal)   

Both pitched and non-pitched percussion instruments can be classified by range, for example:• Triangle/Glockenspiel (soprano), Snare Drum (alto), Timpani (tenor), Bass Drum (bass)