Percussion instruments have developed greatly in modern times. The drum, which is the basic percussion instrument, used to be made by stretching a piece of animal skin, when struck with the hands or a solid object, produced sounds the loudness and softness of which could be controlled.

The large kettle drums used in symphony orchestras are called timpani. They consist of a bowl shaped metal shell’ over which calf skin is stretched. The tension of the skin, and so the pitch of the drum, can be varied by handscrews fixed to the shell, and by other mechanical devices, including the pedal. Other types of drum cannot by tuned and they merely produce sound. The gran cassa which is a bass drum, the cymbals, the gong, side drums and triangles add color and atmosphere to music.

Other percussion instruments include the marimba and castanets. An interesting percussion instrument is the xylophone which consists of a series of wooden bars each producing its own note when struck with a hammer.