Percussion instruments add rhythm, texture and colour across live, studio and educational settings for UK musicians.
- 29 articles
- Drums & Percussion
Articles on Percussion Instruments
All news
Triangle Instrument Explained: Features, Types and Tips
It looks like a bent bit of metal on a string, but there's real craft behind the triangle. Here's the honest, no-nonsense rundown of how it works.
Triangle Instrument: A Complete Buyer's Guide
A bent rod of metal, a loop of cord, a beater — simple in theory, tricky to choose well. Here's what genuinely affects the sound before you buy.
The Best Percussion Instruments for the Money
Forget top-ten lists of specific products — here's how to work out the right category and tier of percussion instrument for what you actually need.
The Ultimate Guide to Instruments Tambourine
From ancient frame drum to folk-rock icon: a complete look at what a tambourine is, how it's built, and where it still turns up today.
The Best Cowbells for the Money
Which type and tier of cowbell actually earns its money for drum kit, Latin styles, a tight budget and the studio.
The Best Agogo Bells for the Money
Classroom, bateria, studio or ceremony: here is a tier-by-tier look at agogo bells, what changes as you spend more, and which option genuinely suits each setting.
Percussion Instruments for Beginners: A Complete Guide
A grounded, no-pressure guide to starting out in percussion — where to begin, what to buy, and the basic skills everything else builds on.
Common Cowbell Mistakes to Avoid
The recurring habits that cause most cowbell frustration, and the quick fix for each, from beater choice to mixing.
Cowbell for Beginners: A Complete Guide
A calm, step-by-step start on the cowbell: grip, a steady first pulse, finding the sweet spot, and adding simple accents.
Triangle Instrument for Beginners: A Complete Guide
It looks simple, but a triangle rewards patient practice like any other instrument. Here's a calm, step-by-step way to learn it properly from the start.
Percussion Instruments Explained: Features, Types and Tips
The broadest family in music, sorted into something that actually makes sense: what counts as percussion, how it's classified, and why it matters.
Tubular Bells: A Complete Buyer's Guide
A big, heavy, specialist instrument deserves a proper buying checklist. Here's what actually matters before you commit to a set — no sales patter.
Cowbell: A Complete Buyer's Guide
The honest version of what matters when buying a cowbell: shell material, size, mounting, and whether you need more than one.
The Best Tubular Bells for the Money
There's no single best set — there's a right tier for your setting. Here's how to match compact, mid-tier, concert-grade, used or digital to the job.
Instruments Tambourine for Beginners: A Complete Guide
No prior music experience needed — a warm, encouraging guide to your first sessions with a tambourine.
Common Percussion Instruments Mistakes to Avoid
Small, easily-missed habits cause most of the problems I see with percussion instruments. Here's what to watch for and how to fix it.
Everything You Need to Know About Agogo Bell
Two small metal bells with a huge job in samba: here is where the agogo bell came from, how it's built and played, and how it differs from a cowbell or gankogui.
Common Agogo Bells Mistakes to Avoid
The same handful of habits explain most problems with agogo bells. Here are six specific mistakes, why they happen, and the quick fix for each.
Agogo Bells: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Classroom set or handmade Brazilian bell? Here is how to match agogo bells to how you actually play, what to check on the weld and beater, and the pitfalls to avoid.
Agogo Bells for Beginners: A Complete Guide
No music reading required: here is a gentle, encouraging way into agogo bells, from the basic grip to your first simple pattern and a realistic practice routine.
Guiro Explained: Features, Types and Tips
The dry, ratchety scrape behind salsa and son, explained: how a guiro is built, the main types you'll find, and where it earns its keep.
Tubular Bells for Beginners: A Complete Guide
A gentle, step-by-step route in for anyone standing in front of a set of tubular bells for the very first time, with no experience assumed.
Marimba Explained: Features, Types and Tips
Ever wondered what actually makes a marimba sound the way it does? Here's how the bars, resonators and ranges fit together, explained without the jargon.
A Guide to Tubular Bells
Tubular bells make one of the biggest sounds in the percussion section from one of the simplest ideas. Here's what they are, how they're built and where you'll actually hear them.
Wide range of percussion instruments
Our percussion instruments category brings together instruments that are played by striking, shaking, scraping or agitating a surface. For UK musicians, percussion instruments can add colour, rhythm and texture to acoustic, studio and live arrangements across many genres.
From hand percussion to orchestral pieces
This percussion instruments range can include shakers, cajons, congas, bongos, tambourines, bells and concert items used in schools, ensembles and recording sessions. Percussion instruments are often chosen to complement drum kits or to provide distinctive accents and groove layers.
Built for stage, studio and education
Whether you are a session player, teacher or live performer, percussion instruments offer flexible ways to shape rhythm. When browsing percussion instruments, consider size, material, tuning and playing style to find the right sound for practice, performance or classroom use.
Electronic Drum Kit
Electronic drum kits for quiet practice, recording and adaptable modern drumming.
5 topics
Xylophone
Xylophones are tuned wooden percussion instruments with a bright, articulate sound for schools, ensembles and performanc...
1 topic
Claves
Bright, compact rhythm sticks that deliver a clear click for Latin grooves, ensemble work and classroom percussion.
Drum Kit
Choose a drum kit for practice, recording or live work, with acoustic and electronic options to suit every drummer.
14 topics
Glockenspiel
Glockenspiels deliver bright, bell-like tuned percussion for orchestral, educational and studio use.
4 topics
Chimes
Orchestral percussion for shimmering accents, dramatic swells and atmospheric colour in live or studio settings.
1 topic
Drum Sticks
Drum sticks shape feel, tone and control, with options for practice, performance and different playing styles.
1 topic
Bongos
Add lively hand percussion to your setup with bongos for Latin grooves, teaching and live performance.
2 topics
Tambourine
Find tambourines for bright accents, rhythmic lift and versatile hand percussion across many styles.
2 topics
Tubular Bells
Tubular bells are pitched concert percussion instruments known for resonant, bell-like tones in orchestral and theatrica...
Maracas
Maracas add bright rhythmic texture and easy-to-use percussion colour for studio, school and live performance.
2 topics
Drums
Drums for every player, from complete kits to upgrade parts, with options for practice, recording and live performance.
26 topics
