(Golden Gator Drumline with Instruments - picture used with permission)

The percussion family contains the snare and bass drums, the mallets (bells), cymbals, and other instruments. Percussion is divided into two groups:  Pitched and unpitched. Pitched percussion actually makes different note sounds. Xylophone, steel drums, and tubular bells are some examples of pitched percussion. Snare drums, bass drums, cymbals, and rattles are all examples of nonpitched percussion. Even though they make different sounds, they don't make particular notes.

Percussion is basically anything that can be struck against anything else, such as a drumstick against a drum, or two wood blocks together. It can also be something scraped or shaken, like sandpaper against sandpaper or bells being jingled.

Sometimes percussionists are referred to as auxiliary players. They are the ones who play the odd instruments, like the tambourines, castanets, triangles, bells, wood blocks, etc.

We know that percussion instruments existed as early as 6000 B.C. All civilizations have used these instruments. They figure prominently in sacred traditions, and have been used to transmit messages over long distances because of their resonance.

To learn more about percussion, check out these sites:

http://www.sbgmusic.com/html/teacher/reference/instruments/percuss.html

http://datadragon.com/education/instruments/percussion.shtml

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/music/percus.html