Instruments of Definite Pitch

In anticipation of beginning assignment one, and following the theme of part one of the course as a whole, I decided to research in brief all of the main percussion instruments, both definite and indefinite pitch. For this purpose, I used my copy of Samuel Adler's Study of Orchestration - 3rd Edition, which I highly recommend. It gives clear and concise descriptions of each instrument, sometimes a little of its history or heritage, and helpfully some tips on scoring for the instrument. The accompanying audio and video recordings were also very helpful in informing me what the instruments look and sound like. I made notes not for future reference (I have the book for that), but because I tend to remember information better if I note it down, rather than just read it. It took me a whole weekend of study to cover all the instruments, but I feel it was time very well spent. I now have a working knowledge of a wide range of percussion instruments that I can use in my future compositions.

Idiophones

Xylophone
Wooden, arranged like a keyboard.
Played with hard, medium or soft mallets.
Resonators added recently.
Little sustain, must roll long notes.
Rapid and single notes are effective, as are trills, arpeggios and glissandi.
Mostly played with one mallet in each hand.
Range: Different sizes available, most common is Middle C4 - C7.


Marimba
Looks very similar to it's ancestor, the xylophone.
A relative newcomer to the scene.
Has had resonators since its invention.
Exact same playing technique as the xylophone.
Most effectively played with soft mallets (soft rubber or yarn).
More mellow and deeper sound than xylophone.
Rolling larger chords is characteristic of marimba repertoire.
Mostly played with two (or sometimes three) mallets in each hand.
Range: More standardised than the xylophone, but different sizes available. Most common is A3 - C6.
Also available but rare is a bass marimba.


Vibraphone
A vague relative to the glockenspiel due to its metal bars.
The only mallet instrument that uses electrically-driven fans on top of the resonators to produce a vibrato/tremolo effect.
Arranged in a keyboard fashion.
Motor can be turned on or off. Off sounds like a struck tuning fork - very pure with little sustain. Motor on has a lot of sustaining time, and brings the notes alive.
Speed of motor can be changed to speed up or slow down the vibrato.
Uses a pedal similar to the sustain on a piano. Dampers are lifted when pedal is up.
Chords, trills, glissandi and fast passages are as effective on this as the other keyboard-style mallet instruments.
Variety of mallets available, usually cord or rubber, rarely wood or plastic. Yarn mallets for soft passages, and wire brushes for glissandi are effective.
An extra technique, most useful in a solo passage, or when sparsely accompanied is called 'dead stroking' (also know as dead sticking). This involves striking the bar then leaving the mallet on the instrument, giving a muffled staccato colour. Can also be performed on the Xyl. and Mar.
The vibraphone can also be bowed with a cello or bass bow, giving a very eerie sound. Especially effective with pedal down and motor on.


Glockenspiel (Orchestral Bells)
Steel bars, like above instruments, arranged like a keyboard.
Contained within a portable wooden frame.
The oldest of all mallet instruments, numerous examples in 19th-century music.
Sounds two octaves higher than written (some composers such as Schoenberg notated it at pitch).
Usually played with one mallet per hand (sometimes two).
The only instrument for which a brass mallet should be used. Other materials produce less ringing, and a more 'clicking' sound, although a hard yarn mallet enables softer playing.
Has the power to be heard over the whole tutti orchestra, especially in its higher register
Can sustain longer than xyl. and mar. Decay can be further slowed, and some vibrato added by waving hands close to the bars after they are struck.
Range: one size, from G3 - C6.


Chimes (Tubular Bells)
Chromium plated brass tubes of various lengths arranged chromatically, hung on wooden or metal rack.
Simulates closely the sound of church bells.
Has a sustaining pedal, operated with right foot.
Yarn or rawhide mallets covered with cloths useful for soft playing, rawhide mallets without cloths (looks like a hammer) for loud playing.
Faster playing, especially in combination with the sustaining pedal gives the impression of multiple church bells playing at once.
Glissando is practical but should not be overused.
Good policy is not to write for more than two notes at once, although some composers asks for two players, each playing two notes to form a four note chord.
Range: C4 to high A5. Most American sets have an extra A sharp and B Natural.


Crotales (Antique Cymbals)
A set of small metal discs, three to five inches in diameter.
Can be mounted on wooden board shaped like a keyboard, or held by a leather strap.
Metal mallets are used, but if held can be struck together like cymbals. Wooden and plastic mallets can be used, but have less sustaining power. Plastic and medium rubber are used for softer effects.
Like the Glslp., hand can be waved over the discs to further sustain the sound, or shaken if handheld.
Very similar sound to Glspl., especially when played with mallets, but a less piercing, more diffuse sound when struck together.
Like the Vibraphone, can be bowed.
Tuned chromatically, unlike finger-cymbals which are of indefinite pitch.
Sounds two octaves higher than written.
Range: from C5 to C6. A second, rarer set is pitched from C4 to B4.


Steel Drums
A metal head on a metal shell.
Resembles a metallic, ringing marimba.
Played by striking different pitches/sections with a soft mallet.
Sometimes played in a group called a steel band, often one playing the melody while the others provide the harmony.
Uncommon in orchestral works.

Shaken or Stroked

Musical Saw
Has been used successfully since the Second World War by many 'modern' composers.
A finely tuned steel blade attached to a wooden handle.
A violin bow is used on the blade edge, which is curved by the player to obtain different pitches.
Has a pronounced vibrato on every pitch, and a glissando between all the pitches.
Sounds similar to a bowed vibraphone with the motor at the fastest setting, but the pitch isn't as definite.
Range - C5 to the F6 (approx).


Flexatone
Similar sound to the musical saw.
A thin, triangular shaped blade is fixed at its base to a metal frame with a handle. The perfomer adjusts the intonation with their thumb, and shakes the instrument causing a ball attached to either side to hit the blade and produce the sound.
Range - C5 to the F6 (approx).


Crystal Goblets
Goblets of various sizes made out of crystal.
Produce beautifully pure pitches.
Can be struck, but more usually are stroked around the rim with wetted fingers.
Produces long, singing tones.
A close relative to the glass harmonica, an instrument made out of glass bowls and popular with the first Viennese school.
Composers today often just ask for low, medium and high rather than specific pitches, or sometimes for four glasses labelled soprano, alto, tenor and bass.

Membranophones

Timpani (Kettle Drums)
Four sizes of timpani commonly available.
Modern timpani have a foot-pedal to quickly and easily change pitch and to produce glissandi.
Used to strengthen the tonic and dominant during the classical era, and participate in strong tutti passages, especially at cadences and climax points.
Have hard, medium and soft mallets, with other sticks such as wooden drumsticks being used for special effects.
Tone is affected by how close the strike is to the rim. A more soft sound can be produced nearer to the rim.
Sound can be muted by placing cloth on the head.
Special effects can be produced by placing cymbals, maracas etc. on the head so they vibrate sympathetically.
The rim and the bowl of the drum is sometimes hit with wooden sticks as a non-pitched instrument.
It is advisable to mark changes of tuning on the score, especially if it's to be done quickly.
Range - C2 - C4 (across the drum range)


Roto-Toms
Tom-toms that play specific pitches.
Tuned by manual turning of the shell.
Can be used to play a slow melody.
Has seven sizes covering a wide range.
Blend especially well with the timpani.
Can score for timpani and roto-toms in combination, using different shape note-head for each.
All kinds of materials for sticks and mallets including wood, plastic, rubber and cord are effective.

Chordophones

Cimbalom
The most highly developed of the ancient dulcimers.
Trapezoid shaped. Laid flat, and struck on its metal strings in various ways with wooden or leather mallets.
Like a piano, has multiple strings per pitch, and also a damper pedal.
Like the marimba, notes to be sustained are usually rolled, even when not specified.
Especially effective in rapid and florid passages.
Range: four octaves, with all chromatic tones. E2 - E6.

Aerophones

Whistles
Used for various effects.
The type of whistle should be specified (bird whistle, tin whistle, police whistle etc).
If no specific pitch is desired, there should be instructions for what you need it to do.