percussive instrument
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: A musical instrument that produces sound primarily through the direct action of striking, shaking, or scraping. The sound is generated by the impact of one object upon another, causing it to vibrate.
Usage
The term "percussive instrument" is used to classify an instrument based on its fundamental sound production method. It is a formal, technical term common in musicology, orchestration, and academic descriptions.
Examples
- The drum, xylophone, and tambourine are all classic examples of a percussive instrument.
- In the orchestra, the section containing timpani and cymbals is called the percussive instrument section.
- The musician specialized in playing various percussive instruments from around the world.
Advanced Usage
- Extended Techniques: Modern composers sometimes use percussive instruments in non-traditional ways, such as bowing a cymbal or rubbing the rim of a gong.
- Pitched vs. Unpitched: A percussive instrument can be either pitched (like a marimba, which produces specific notes) or unpitched (like a snare drum, which produces a sound without a definite pitch).
Variants and Related Words
- Percussion Instrument: This is the more common and standard term. "Percussive instrument" and "percussion instrument" are often used interchangeably, though "percussion instrument" is more frequent.
- Percussion (noun): The collective section of such instruments in an ensemble ("the percussion") or the act of playing them ("He studied percussion").
- Percussive (adjective): Describing a quality of sound that is sharp, striking, or reminiscent of percussion (e.g., "the percussive sound of typewriters").
Synonyms
- Drum (though this refers specifically to a major sub-category)
- Struck instrument
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Percussion section: The group of musicians in a band or orchestra who play percussion instruments.
- To play percussion: The phrase meaning to be a musician who plays this family of instruments.
Noun
- a musical instrument in which the sound is produced by one object striking another