Percussion section
The group of percussion instruments in an ensemble.
What it means
The percussion section is the collective term for the entire group of percussion instruments within an orchestra, big band, or ensemble, whether it is handled by a single player or by several.
It includes both pitched instruments such as timpani, xylophone, or glockenspiel and unpitched ones such as cymbals, snare drum, or triangle.
Musical use
In the classical orchestra the percussion section long remained comparatively small, usually limited to timpani; from the nineteenth and especially the twentieth century onward, in the works of composers such as Berlioz, Stravinsky, or Bartók it grew into an independent, timbrally diverse area of the score, often shared among several players who move between different instruments.
In big band, rock, and pop settings, a single drum kit usually takes over the percussion function for one player alone, whereas in the orchestra the percussion section typically remains spread across several separate instruments and players.
The percussion section should be distinguished from the drum kit, which refers specifically to the combined set of drums and cymbals played by a single performer, while the percussion section is the broader term covering all the percussion instruments of an ensemble.
Performance practice
As a percussionist, plan the switches between instruments carefully, since spatial layout and reach between them are often tightly timed within a piece. Make sure to strike each instrument with the mallet or stick suited to its particular sound character.