p-e-r-c-u-s-s-i-o-n
PERCUSSION refers to musical instruments that produce sound by being struck, shaken, or scraped, or the medical technique of tapping body surfaces to assess underlying structures.
14
Points in Scrabble
Base tile values • No multipliers applied
PERCUSSION has two primary meanings:1. Musical Context: Percussion refers to a family of musical instruments that produce sound primarily by being struck, shaken, or scraped. This includes drums, cymbals, xylophones, tambourines, and many other instruments. Percussion instruments are classified as either pitched (producing definite notes) or unpitched (producing indefinite pitch).2. Medical Context: In medicine, percussion is a diagnostic technique where a healthcare provider taps on body surfaces to assess the condition of underlying organs and tissues. Different sounds (resonant, dull, tympanic) indicate different conditions.Types of percussion instruments:
The word percussion derives from Latin percussio, from percutere meaning "to strike through" - composed of per- (through) + quatere (to shake, strike). It entered English in the 1540s initially in the medical sense. The musical sense developed later, around 1776, as the classification of musical instruments became more systematic. The term perfectly captures the essence of these instruments - sound produced through striking. The medical use predates the musical use, reflecting the long history of percussion as a diagnostic tool dating back to ancient times.
Group of percussion instruments/players
Musical group of only percussion
Creating rhythms using the body
Medical examination technique
•Percussion instruments are believed to be the oldest musical instruments, with drums dating back 6,000 years
•The drum kit wasn't invented until the early 1900s, combining multiple percussion instruments for one player
•Medical percussion was popularized by Leopold Auenbrugger in 1761, inspired by his father tapping wine barrels
•Double letters in PERCUSSION can be useful for parallel plays
"The percussion section added dynamic rhythm to the orchestra's performance of the symphony."
"The doctor used percussion to detect fluid in the patient's lungs during the physical examination."
Adjective Form
percussive
The percussive rhythm drove the dance music.
Noun Form
percussionist
The percussionist played multiple instruments during the concert.
Verb Form
percuss
The doctor will percuss your chest to check for fluid.
Similar length and difficulty words
Total base points: 14 (Scrabble)
Vowels: 4 | Consonants: 6
Percussion instruments are among the oldest, with drums dating back 6,000 years across all cultures.
Essential in all genres from classical to hip-hop, with drum kits revolutionizing popular music.
Diagnostic percussion has been used since ancient times, formalized in the 18th century.
Central to cultural identity through traditional drums like djembe, taiko, and tabla.
Only thinking of drums
Includes all struck instruments like xylophones, cymbals, triangles
Pronunciation as "per-CUSH-un"
Correct: per-KUSH-un
Confusing with "concussion"
Different meanings despite similar sound
Practice unscrambling letters to find more high-scoring words like PERCUSSION