The rhythmic instruments generate their sound from a blow, either using their hands against the instrument, crashing instruments with each other or using drumsticks or wooden rods on the instrument.
Most percussion instruments, except the xylophone, marimba and vibraphone, are rhythmic instruments.
They are used to give a rhythmic base on a tempo or to accent an existing rhythm and are different from the previous ones because they do not give notes of a certain height.
They are the most basic but not without useless instruments, since they are present in most contemporary musical genres, from pop and rock music to symphonic orchestras and traditional folk music of many regions.
Among the rhythmic instruments that stand out the most are the following:
Conga
Also known as tumbadoras, they are drums of wood on which a membrane or leather is tensioned on which it is struck with the hands.
It is of African origin and has a wide presence today in several Latin rhythms such as merengue and salsa.
Bongo drum
With a similar story to the one of the conga, but of smaller size, they are tambores of wood of African origin used in sorts like the sauce and the bolero.
Keys
In the plural, because they come in a pair, they are two wooden bars of about 25cm that generate a sharp sound when beating them together.
They stand out in Cuban music but their use is now common around the world.
Tambourine
It is a mixed instrument with a leather tightened around the circumference of the instrument, similar to the drums, but with a series of metallic pieces on the circumference that sound with the movement of the instrument, so that it can make two different sounds: blow and the agitated.
Present in many musical genres, from rock and funk to Brazilian popular music where it is known as tambourine .
Rattles
They are a group of metal pieces grouped in a handle that can be metallic or wood.
They generate a sound similar to that of the tambourine but they are the drum that the tambourine has.
Cowbell
Also known as cowbell or bell (because of its similarity with the bells that they put to the cattle) is an instrument of metallic sound and medium frequency to acute.
It is used regularly in Latin American music, specifically in salsa, but it is also present in some pieces of rock, R & B and pop like the famous"Do not feel the reaper"of the band Blue Oyster Cult.
Agogo
Similar to the cowbell, the agogo are a pair of metallic bells of different size that generate two different sounds, one sharper than the other.
They have African origin and are very present the Brazilian music through the samba genre and its derivatives.
Chinese box
Also known as a wood block, it is a rectangular block of wood that is struck with a stick, similar to the bell or agogo, with the difference that the sound is drier because it is made with wood instead of metal.
Castanets
It is a pair of pieces of wood shaped similar to oyster shells, joined by a rope and generating a particular sound.
They are used in several native musical genres of Croatia and Italy, but mainly stand out like the rhythmic companion of the flamenco guitar.
Drawer
Of Peruvian origin and part of the cultural patrimony of that nation, the drawer is a rectangular instrument of about 50cm of height constructed of wood.
The musician sits on the drawer and strikes it with his hands, in a similar way as it would with the drum, but striking directly on the wood instead of a stretched leather.
Popularized as a rhythmic accompaniment in flamenco, the Cajón is very present today in several Afro-Latin genres, jazz and even rock because it allows a very complete rhythmic accompaniment, similar to that of a complete battery, but occupying a fraction of its size, weight and complexity of transportation.
References
- Wikipedia - Percussion Instruments. Taken from en.wikipedia.org
- The Peruvian drawer - Features. Taken from musicaperuana.com
- Salsa Blanca - Cuban Instruments. Taken from salsablanca.com
- McGraw-Hill - Cuban Music. Taken from spotlightonmusic.macmillanmh.com
Celebrate Brazil - Brazilian Musical Instruments. Taken from celebratebrazil.com.