106 !!Chapter 6
The same recording process is used for percussion, such as congas,
bongos, shakers, and tambourines. Many arrangers create synthesized
percussion sounds by editing and adding effects to existing sounds. The
sounds are not an attempt to duplicate the sound of real instruments but
rather an effort to create new sounds that achieve the same rhythmic result
as traditional percussion instruments.
Synthesizer manufacturers make dedicated (contains only drum
sounds) drum machines, some of which contain hundreds of sounds that
can be edited, helping to achieve a unique sound quality. Third-party
manufacturers also sell myriad sounds. Some drum machines have sophis-
ticated editing parameters and allow programmers great creativity. This
is also true of virtual (software) drum machines.
Professional drum programmers spend endless hours creating and
editing drum and percussive sounds. It is their ‘‘feel’’ along with their
individual pallet of sounds that makes them unique. Drummers, percus-
sionists, and drum programmers (in popular music) are hired because of
their individuality, which includes their feel for a musical style, their sense
of time, and their technical ability.
Timpani
Timpani (also called kettledrums) are standard drums in symphony
orchestras as well as in popular music orchestras. They are usually made
of copper covered with a skin. If not overused, the sound of timpani can
make a distinct statement within an arrangement. Timpani produce a
unique deep, percussive sound. When combined with the basses, a rich
low end is created. Timpani are played with mallets.
Range:There are four basic timpani drums. The notation is written in
the bass clef. Their tones are adjusted through the use of a foot pedal—the
lower the pedal is pushed, the higher the tone. The notes sound where
they are written. The range of the lowest drum is from D, below the bass
clef, to A, on the lowest space of the bass clef; the second drum from F to
C; the third drum from B-flat to F; and the fourth drum (highest drum)
from D to A. Timpani are popular in hip-hop music because the power of
the low end is so effective (see example 6-7).
Example 6-7 Timpani range.Percussion Instruments
A percussion instrument is defined as something that is struck or shaken;
it can be made out of wood, metal, skin, or numerous other materials.
Some percussion instruments have a traditional tone, but some do not.