What are non-percussion instruments?

Answer 1

I think some are:

Piano, Cello, Trombone, Flute and Bassoon

correct me if I'm wrong! :)

x

Also the Oboe is non-transposing aswell

Answer 2

I think some are:

Piano, Cello, Trombone, Flute and Bassoon

correct me if I'm wrong! :)

x

Also the Oboe is non-transposing aswell

Answer 3

Non-pitched instruments have no discernible pitch. Some non-pitched instruments include:

• Bass drum
• Castanets
• Cymbals
• Rainstick
• Slapstick or whip
• Snare drum
• Tamtam
• Tom-tom
• Triangles
• Cymbals

Answer 4

Generally, instruments are only made to play in one key - a violin is in C, Clarinet in Bb, etc. However, many french horns (that are called 'double' - singles can't switch) can switch between F and Bb. Instruments that are not in C are called transposing instruments and, other than clarinet and french horn, also include saxophones and Trombone. Non-transposing instruments include Flute, harp and guitar. Non-transposing instruments sound the same note as they play (ie if a flautist plays a 'C', the flute will sound the same note as a 'C' on a piano). However, transposing instruments will sound a different note to the piano if they both play a 'C'. It can be an important skill for a musician to learn to transpose at sight - for example between F and Eb if they are a horn player. This means that if they are given a part in an ensemble that is written in the wrong key for their instrument, they will still be able to play it at the right pitch.

Answer 5

Non-percussion instruments are instruments that are not played by striking or scraping them (like drums).

There are a lot of non-percussion instruments. Here are some examples:

• Guitar
• Harp
• Viola
• Violin
• Cello
• Clarinet
• Oboe
• Bassoon
• Flute
• Saxophone
• Trumpet
• Trombone
• French horn
• Bass Guitar
• Tuba
• Banjo
• Double bass
• Euphonium

Answer 6

Any percussion instrument that you hit and don't get a periodic tone back qualifies as a non-pitched percussion instrument. Technically, most of the pitched percussion instruments can be employed as non-pitched percussion instruments simply by ignoring the pitch-producing parts and banging away on them.

The primary characteristic of pitch is periodic vibration. The primary characteristic of noise is either a lack of periodic (repeating waveform patterns) seen in the time domain (as in an oscilloscope) or a presence of very many waves which are not related (the spectrum-analyzer view.)

Oddly, there are few instruments employed in the orchestra which are 'purely non-pitched'. The snare drum employs a number of loose wires held against the bottom head of a drum which might otherwise produce a decaying pitch. The rattle of the snare against the head makes the noise.

The other percussion instruments which are not classed as pitched are largely denied this status because they do not have the range and complete set of pitches of, say, a piano, orchestra bells, marimba, etc.

The claves, for instance, produce a single, composite pitched sound, but that sound decays quickly so that the perception is the striking, more than the pitch. It is easy to tell (because of the pitched component) between striking two claves and striking two drum sticks together!

Cymbals come in many varieties, each with its own characteristic sound. Mostly, they are considered non-pitched, although some drummers/percussionists collect batteries of cymbals, and can play noisy melodies on them!

Gongs are not considered pitched, even though they have a very strong set of periodic components. Likewise church-bells are considered non-pitched, because their tonal components are arranged in fourths (each higher partial is related to the one below by a ratio of 4:3. Pitched instruments are expected for their partials to be arranged in a neat 1:2:3:4, etc order.) The sound of stacked fourths is named Klang by the Germans, which comes from their relation to this kind of bell.

Then there is the drawer of 'toys' collected by every percussionist: boards with sandpaper attached which can be moved against each other in rhythmic patterns, gourds or hollow wooden containers with beads or seeds within, the Rainstick, a special case of the last, in which the seeds inside the long tube fall over internal ridges, making a sound like a tropical rainstorm. All manner of shakers of this variety, with the moving element inside (shakers) or outside (cabasa) fall into this category.

Drums with small untuned heads are considered unpitched, and single drums with quite pitchy resonances, taken alone or in small enough groups that they cannot play melodies are called unpitched. Boxes with tongues cut into the walls, which can be tapped to make vaguely pitched sounds are as well.

There is, really, a humongous number of things which can be treated as unpitched percussion: sticks rubbed over ridges in the shell of a gourd, large sheets of metal, wobbled between the hands to sound like thunder, fans and fans with attachments to produce the sound of wind, pots of water and pieces of metal held on thongs, which can be tapped as they are moved into and out of the water... basically, anything that you can get an affect from which you wouldn't be likely to employ first and formost as a melody or harmony instrument can be grouped in the category of Unpitched Percussion.

Answer 7

I think some are:

Piano, Cello, Trombone, Flute and Bassoon

correct me if I'm wrong! :)

x

Also the Oboe is non-transposing aswell