A jam block is a

percussion instrument A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a percussion mallet, beater including attached or enclosed beaters or Rattle (percussion beater), rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or ...

developed as a modern, hard plastic version of the woodblock. They are popularly used for their durability when compared to the traditional woodblock. They were created by Martin Cohen, founder of

Latin Percussion {{for, the company, Latin Percussion Latin percussion is a family of percussion, membranophone, lamellophone and idiophone instruments used in Latin music. Instruments Afro-Cuban and Puerto Rican styles Folkloric and Santeria * Trap drums * Abaku ...

, after percussionist Marc Quiñones requested a sturdier version of the woodblock. Jam blocks are usually attached to timbales and

drum kit A drum kit or drum set (also known as a trap set, or simply drums in popular music and jazz contexts) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and sometimes other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one p ...

s, but they can also be used as standalone orchestral instruments. They are often used in salsa and other

Latin American Latin Americans (; ) are the citizenship, citizens of Latin American countries (or people with cultural, ancestral or national origins in Latin America). Latin American countries and their Latin American diaspora, diasporas are Metroethnicity, ...

styles, although some modern drummers have used them in rock. They are also often used to keep time during marching band rehearsals where they are popularly known as "gock blocks".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jam Block Percussion idiophones Drum kit components Musical instruments played with drum sticks 20th-century percussion instruments Hand percussion Orchestral percussion instruments de:Jam-Block

See also

References