Tuned percussion instruments play different notes, usually with a mallet or stick.
They include timpani, glockenspiel, xylophone, marimba, vibraphone and tubular bells.
These instruments keep the rhythm of the orchestra’s music and sometimes play the melodies. They also add colour to a piece of music by making special, exciting sounds. Percussionists are busy musicians, playing many different instruments in a single piece of music!
The glockenspiel and xylophone might look the same, but they sound very different.
That’s because a glockenspiel is made from metal, while a xylophone is made from
wood.