What is the difference between a cymbal and a gong

You can change the quality of the pitch by using different kinds of mallets hard or soft , and by hitting the wooden bars in different ways. Attached to the bottom of the wooden bars are metal tubes called resonators, where the sound vibrates.

This gives the xylophone its bright bell-like sound. There are several other instruments similar to the xylophone, which are also part of the percussion family. They include the marimba , a larger version of a xylophone with wood or plastic resonators attached to the bottom of the wooden keys, which give it a mellower, more rounded sound, and the vibraphone known as vibes , which has both metal bars and metal resonators, with small rotating disks inside. The disks are attached to a rod, which is turned by an electric motor.

When you play a sustained note on the vibes and the motor is running, the disks create vibrato , or a wiggly pitch. In addition, percussionists often play a glockenspiel pronounced GLOCK-en-shpeel , which is a miniature xylophone with metal bars instead of wood.

The percussionist uses hard mallets to play the glockenspiel, which sounds like clear tinkling bells. Cymbals are the biggest noisemakers of the orchestra. They are two large metal discs, usually made of spun bronze. Cymbals, which are untuned, come in a range of sizes, from quite small to very large.

The larger the cymbal, the lower the sound they make. Cymbals can be used for drama and excitement, to accent the rhythm or create delicate sound effects. You can play the cymbals either by hitting one cymbal against the other, or you can use sticks, mallets or brushes to hit one or both cymbals.

You've probably played a triangle yourself at one time or another. It's a small metal bar that's bent into the shape of a triangle and makes a ringing sound when you hit it.

There are many sizes of triangles and each one sounds a different pitch. You play the triangle by holding it on a string and striking it with a metal beater. The size and thickness of the beater can change the sound the triangle makes. The snare drum is a smallish drum made of wood or brass with drumheads made of calfskin or plastic stretched over both ends of a hollow cylinder. It has a set of wire-wrapped strings stretched across the bottom head the snare , which give the snare drum its unique "rattling" sound when the drum is hit.

A small switch on the side of the drum allows the player to turn the snare on or off depending on the requirements of the piece. The snare drum is an untuned drum, so it doesn't sound distinct pitches.

It is often used in military music and is a central part of any marching band. Snare drums are used to keep the rhythm and make special sounds, such as drumrolls. You play the snare drum by hitting the top with drumsticks, mallets or brushes. The bass drum , like the double bass, is the biggest member of the percussion family and therefore makes the lowest sounds. The bass drum is built like a very large snare drum, although without the snare; it is also an untuned instrument. You play the bass drum by hitting either drumhead with sticks that have large soft heads, often covered with sheepskin or felt.

For example, cymbals may be banged together to give a loud crash, or gently stroked with a wire brush for a softer ring. In an orchestra, two cymbals are usually used as a pair. They can be crashed together, tapped, and scraped to produce different sounds. The tubular bells, or chimes, are a set of long metal tubes fixed on a frame. Each tube produces a single note when struck with a small hammer. As a result, they sometimes are referred to as trash cymbals.

Their design can be traced back to Chinese gongs- hence the name. Sheet cymbals are the least expensive type, and are made by stamping from sheets of metal. The drawback is that these cymbals do not have the same levels of sustain as cast equivalents.

However, sheet cymbals are usually fine for beginners. Cast cymbals are made by casting molten metal in a mould. The casts are then, rolled, hammered and lathed into a finished cymbal.

Cast cymbals have better projection, sustain, often with more complex tone and are generally tougher than sheet cymbals. But, the more labour intensive production methods involved means that these are a more expensive option. There are of course countless varieties of all of the above types of cymbal available from brands such as Zildjian and Sabian , but hopefully this guide should illuminate some of the basic types available to the drummer.

Head over to the Dawsons Music website to check out our full range of Drum Gear. Alternatively, head to your nearest Dawsons store where our in-store specialists are more than happy to help you out. Often to be found with several cups on his desk, too many tabs open, and perpetually waiting for the perfect pun. Registered in England.