- Percussion instruments slip into funk, soul, pop, disco, and hip-hop, and you almost never notice them.
- I tested them in two tracks, a disco funk track and a lofi soul track, rather than product by product, so you can hear them at work.
- When I mute the percussion in the track, the groove falls flat: they bring texture and life more than spotlight.
- From the egg shaker to congas, including the cowbell and tambourine, every instrument has its role and its moment in the production.
You hear percussion everywhere and never notice it. In funk, soul, pop, disco, hip-hop, Latin music, and world music, these little instruments hold a track together without ever demanding the spotlight. For this percussion selection, I wanted to do something more fun and musical than a standard product-by-product review.
The idea is simple: I’m building two completely different tracks, a disco funk track and a lofi soul track, and slipping as much percussion into them as possible without it becoming too much. The goal isn’t to pile instruments on top of you, but to let you hear what each one brings once it’s placed in a real track, with real drums and real bass around it. Before that, I’ll introduce you to this whole little crew, in the order I arranged them.
My percussion selection, from shakers to claves
We’ll start with the shaker, in three variations. First, the famous eggs we all know, here in shaker form with the Pearl PEC-1 Egg Shakers. Then the LP 441 Duo Shake in its soft version, which is very common. And my favorite, right here.
The Shake It metal shaker is probably one of the most underrated instruments. When you take it out of your production, something is missing.
Highlights
- My favorite of the three shakers
- A metal shaker you notice when it disappears
Second, the rosewood claves, the Rohema claves. They’re two pieces of wood that you strike together (that’s all you need to know), but with some reverb, I find them absolutely sublime. They snap, they ring out, and they instantly establish a clear tempo in the listener’s mind.
Cowbell, blocks, and cabasa: the percussion selection that adds depth
Third, the cowbell. It will definitely remind you of something, and that’s exactly why I love it: one sharp hit is enough for your ear to recognize a groove it has heard a hundred times before.
It’s the LP 204 AN Black Beauty. A sound you recognize from the very first strike.
Highlights
- An instantly recognizable sound
In the same vein, the wood block and the plastic block: the wooden Pearl PAB-50, and the plastic LP 1207 Jam Block medium red. Two materials, two attacks: the block snaps and cuts through the mix, and each finds its place without stepping on the other’s toes.
Fifth, the cabasa (a kind of beaded cylinder that you rotate under your palm), for a little more texture and some Michael Jackson-style accents. It’s the LP standard afuche cabasa. And sixth, the brand’s classic maracas, the M283 Matador. Everyone has heard maracas before, and they very quickly make a track feel like summer.
Bongos, congas, and triangle: what changes a track’s energy
Seventh, the bongos. Run them through a spring reverb—it’s a must.
They’re the LP Aspire in 6 and 8 inches, natural gold finish.
Highlights
- Two diameters, 6 and 8 inches
- A sound that gets even better with spring reverb
Next, the legendary congas. They instantly transform the energy of a track.
The LP 647 New York AW from the City series, in 11 and 12 inches.
Highlights
- Two congas, 11 and 12 inches
- Changes a track’s energy from the very first hits
For an airy touch, the 8-inch triangle from Danmar, the Danmar 408. A treat.
Chimes and tambourine to wrap up
The chimes, or bar chimes (a row of tubes you sweep with your finger to create a cascade of tinkling sounds), add a little magic to your productions: I picked the 36-tube model, the LP Bar Chimes Studio. One sweep at the right moment, and the end of a chorus changes atmosphere.
And to finish, I couldn’t leave you without a tambourine. It’s part of the music industry on the same level as shakers: an essential.
The Meinl TMT1 BK, with a double row of jingles.
Highlights
- Double row of jingles
- An essential, just like shakers
Two tracks to hear them: disco funk, then lofi soul
All right, I’ll stop talking. Let’s start with the disco funk track. I recorded a little drum part, a little bass, and maybe a little Rhodes, then I laid the percussion over it, one by one, so you can hear each one come in.
To measure what a percussion instrument is worth, mute it right in the middle of a track. When I take the percussion out of my disco funk production, everything falls flat.
They don’t necessarily take the spotlight, but they’ve always been there. They give texture and groove to all those legendary tracks. Then we move on to the lofi soul track, in another style, with different colors.
What’s crazy about these instruments is that they’re everywhere in music and you never notice them. Yet in reality, it’s often percussion that brings a track to life. All the references are available just below the video, and you’ll find plenty of options on Woodbrass. All right, see you soon!
