Meaning of Auxiliary Percussion in Music
Auxiliary percussion refers to a category of instruments in music that provide additional percussive elements to a composition. These instruments are typically used to enhance the overall sound and add variety to the rhythmic texture of a musical piece. Auxiliary percussion instruments are considered supporting components to the main percussion instruments, which are usually the drums. They can include a wide range of unpitched instruments such as snare drums, cymbals, tambourines, triangles, maracas, gongs, chimes, and more.
Auxiliary percussion instruments are often used to create specific sound effects or to add unique rhythmic patterns to a composition. They can be played alongside or in combination with the main percussion instruments, depending on the desired musical effect. In an orchestra, for example, a percussionist may be responsible for playing multiple auxiliary percussion instruments throughout a piece of music, in addition to the primary percussion instruments like timpani and xylophone.
The term "auxiliary" in music can have other meanings as well, but in the context of percussion, it generally refers to these additional instruments that support the main percussion section
A common sub-classification of percussion instruments that is comprised of "toys" or special sound effects. Some of these instruments are tuned (able to produce a specific pitch) and others are untuned (unable to produce a specific pitch), but all of them are notated without specific pitches. Their main function is to provide a sound that is either comical or meant to simulate a known sound.
Auxiliary Percussion Instruments
Aerophones Free Aerophones
- acme siren (police siren)
Edge-blown Aerophones Idiophones Concussion Idiophones Friction Idiophones Percussion Idiophones Plucked Idiophones
- jew's harp (can also be classified as a free-reed aerophone)
Scraped Idiophones Shaken Idiophones
- rattle
- sleigh bells
- tambourine (can also be a membranophone)
- thunder machine
- vibra-slap
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