Contemporary Percussion

During this century the role of percussion instruments in serious music has changed radically. From being a group of crude, though effective, accessories, they have become among the most important of all the families of instruments. In many ways it might be said that our age has become the age of percussion. The music written for percussion instruments has increased enormously in richness and complexity, they themselves have become far more numerous, and percussion players have become virtuoso performers. This book is a guide to percussion instruments available today. It sets out their characteristics, and shows, by clear explanation and a large number of music examples, how composers are using them. There is also an important section on the notation of percussion instruments. The result is an aid to music students, performers, orchestrators and arrangers, and to composers themselves. First published in 1970, this new paperback edition contains a short preface outlining recent trends and developments.