Woodblock
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The Woodblock is a small, wooden slit-drum. When you strike the woodblock, it produces a resonant and penetrating sound, which can be clearly heard above the other instruments in an orchestra. However, the woodblock usually plays only a few notes at a time. In Dixieland and ragtime music, the instrument is often called a "clog box" or "tap box."
| Family |
| Percussions |
| Pitch range |
| None. |
| Material |
| Wood. |
| Size |
| Usually 7 in (18 cm) long. |
| Origins |
| The woodblock was originally a Chinese instrument, known as a ban. It was adopted by early jazz bands and became a popular drummer's effect. |
| Classification |
| Idiophone: an instrument that produces its sound through the use of the material from which it is made, without needing strings or a stretched skin. |
| And also... |
| The woodblock is sometimes called the clog-box. It is quite different from, but is sometimes confused with, the temple blocks (called muyu) which are also from China. |
