Percussion Frequencies

The following document outlines two Markdown tables with reference frequencies for:

• Standard drumkit (5-piece)

• Multiple percussion instruments

These references can be used to inform in testing the model

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Glossary

Fundamental/Body: This refers to the core, lowest, and often most prominent pitch or “weight” of an instrument’s sound. It’s what gives a drum its “thud” or a maraca its central “shhh.” Boosting this area adds fullness and perceived power.

Muddiness/Boxiness: These terms describe undesirable resonant frequencies, often in the low-mids to mids (around 150 Hz to 800 Hz), that can make an instrument sound unclear, “honky,” or like it’s trapped in a box. Cutting these frequencies can clean up the sound.

Beater Attack / Attack / Snap / Slap / Click / Crack: These all refer to the initial transient impact of a sound. It’s the sharp “click” of a kick drum beater, the “snap” of a snare, or the “slap” of a conga. These high-frequency components (often 2 kHz and above) provide definition and cut through a mix.

Ringing: Specifically for drums (like snare or toms), “ringing” refers to sustained, often undesirable, resonant frequencies that linger after the initial hit. This can make a drum sound uncontrolled or out of tune.

Sizzle / Crispness / Sheen / Sparkle / Air / High Harmonics: These terms describe the very high-frequency content (typically from 5 kHz all the way up to 20 kHz and beyond) that gives instruments their brilliance, clarity, and sense of space. “Sizzle” often refers to hi-hats or cymbals, while “sheen” and “sparkle” are common for cymbals and other bright percussion. “Air” is the very top end that adds openness and realism.

Body/Warmth/Depth/Fatness: These terms refer to the fundamental frequencies and the lower-mid range (roughly 80 Hz to 500 Hz) that give an instrument its foundational richness, fullness, and perceived power. Boosting here can make a sound feel more substantial.

Main Tone / Clang / Click / Scratch: These describe the dominant, characteristic sound or timbre of specific percussion instruments. For example, the “clang” of a cowbell, the distinct “click” of claves, or the “scratch” of a guiro. These often reside in the mid-range to high-mid frequencies, giving the instrument its unique identity.

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Standard Drumkit

Drum Part	Aspect	Typical Frequency Range (Hz)	Notes & Characteristics
Kick Drum
	Fundamental/Body	40 - 150	Thud or weight, often 50-80 Hz for core impact
	Muddiness/Boxiness	100 - 400	Frequencies that can sound muddy or boxy; often targeted for cuts
	Beater Attack	2k - 5k	Presence and click of the beater hitting the head (can extend to 7k)
Snare Drum
	Body/Fatness	150 - 250	The main thwack or fundamental tone, adds warmth and impact
	Ringing/Muddiness	250 - 1.5k	Unwanted ringing or boxy resonance
	Attack/Snap	3k - 5k	Crispness, initial impact, and crack of the stick
	Sizzle/Air	8k+	From the snare wires, adds brightness and air (often a high shelf boost)
Toms
	Body/Resonance	60 - 200	Deeper for floor toms (e.g., 70-90 Hz), higher for rack toms (e.g., 120-200 Hz)
	Muddiness/Boxiness	250 - 1k	Resonances that might need cutting (e.g., 400 Hz for floor tom ring, 600 Hz for rack tom boxiness)
	Attack	1k - 5k	Stick attack and clarity for definition
Hi-Hats
	Fundamental/Body	300 - 3k	The main shhh sound, often dominant around 2-3 kHz
	Crispness/Sizzle	8k - 17k+	Brightness, air, and metallic shimmer
Cymbals (Crash, Ride)
	Body/Clang	300 - 600	Lower for large crashes, fundamental metallic sound or gong resonance
	Sheen/Sparkle	4k - 12k	For ride cymbal definition, crash cymbal brilliance
	Air/High Harmonics	10k - 20k+	Openness, shimmer, and extended high-frequency content

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Percussion

Instrument Part	Aspect	Typical Frequency Range (Hz)	Notes & Characteristics
Kick Drum
	Fundamental/Body	40 - 150	Thud or weight, often 50-80 Hz
	Muddiness/Boxiness	100 - 400	Frequencies to cut to remove unwanted resonances
	Beater Attack	2k - 5k	Presence and click of the beater (can extend to 7k)
Snare Drum
	Body/Fatness	150 - 250	Main thwack or fundamental tone
	Ringing/Muddiness	250 - 15k	Frequencies to cut for unwanted ring or boxiness
	Attack/Snap	3k - 5k	Crispness and initial impact
	Sizzle/Air	8k+	From the snare wires (often high shelf)
Toms
	Body/Resonance	60 - 200	Deeper for floor toms, higher for rack toms
	Muddiness/Boxiness	250 - 1k	Resonances that might need cutting
	Attack	1k - 5k	Stick attack and clarity
Hi-Hats
	Fundamental/Body	300 - 3k	Main shhh sound, often dominant around 2-3 kHz
	Crispness/Sizzle	8k - 17k+	Brightness and air
Cymbals (Crash, Ride)
	Body/Clang	300 - 600	Lower for large crashes, fundamental metallic sound
	Sheen/Sparkle	4k - 12k	For ride definition, crash brilliance
	Air/High Harmonics	10k - 20k+	Openness and shimmer
Congas
	Body/Resonance	150 - 300	Thump or ring of the drum
	Slap/Attack	2k - 5k	Sharp, cutting sound of the hand slap
Bongos
	Body/Warmth	120 - 250	Fundamental tone
	Attack/Definition	3k - 5k	Pop or crack sound
Djembes
	Body/Depth	120 - 250	Deep bass tones
	Attack/Clarity	1k - 3k	Definition of the strike
	High-End/Brightness	8k - 10k	Upper harmonics and crispness
Tabla
	Fundamental (Dayan)	200+	Higher pitched drum, strong harmonics
	Fundamental (Bayan)	50 - 150	Lower, resonant bass drum
	Mid-range Harmonics	500 - 2k	Crucial for unique timbre of different strokes
	Attack/Definition	2k - 5k	Clarity of the strike
Shakers/Maracas
	Main Sound/Sizzle	4k - 15k	Dominant shhh or rattle sound
	Overall Range	200 - 18k+	Varies by material and size; lower end for body
Tambourine
	Jingle Sound/Sizzle	5k - 15k	Bright, metallic shimmer
	Overall Resonances	2k - 8k	Interaction of jingles and drumhead
Cowbell
	Main Tone/Clang	500 - 7k	Distinct mid-range to high-mid presence
	Harmonics/Ring	7k - 15k+	Upper overtones
Wood Block
	Main Tone	800 - 5k	Sharp, resonant clack or knock
	Attack/Definition	High Freq	Strong transients
Claves
	Main Tone/Click	1k - 5k	Very percussive, sharp click
Guiro
	Scratch/Main Sound	1k - 8k	Characteristic scrape sound
Triangles
	Fundamental/Ring	1k - 8k	Clear pitched ring
	Harmonics/Sustain	10k - 20k+	Shimmering, sustained high-frequency content
Chimes/Bells
	Ring/Body	1k - 5k	Initial strike and primary resonance
	Sparkle/Air	5k - 15k+	Shimmering, sustained high-frequency content

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