How the cajón makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the cajón belongs to the struck idiophones: the body is struck directly – bells, gongs, xylophones and cymbals.
More broadly it is one of the idiophones, where the solid body of the instrument itself vibrates, without strings or a stretched membrane.
Its timbre – the colour that lets you tell it apart from other instruments playing the same note – comes from the mix of overtones its body and resonator emphasise.
From Wikipedia
A cajón is a box-shaped percussion instrument originally from Peru, played by slapping the front or rear faces (generally thin plywood) with the hands, fingers, or sometimes implements such as brushes, mallets, or sticks.
Cajóns are primarily played in Afro-Peruvian music (specifically música criolla), but have made their way into flamenco as well. The term cajón is also applied to other box drums used in Latin American music, such as the Cuban cajón de rumba and the Mexican cajón de tapeo.
Other struck idiophones
Frequently asked questions
What does a cajón sound like?
As one of the struck idiophones, its sound comes from the way the body is struck directly.
What type of instrument is the cajón?
It is classified as struck idiophones (Hornbostel–Sachs 111.221).
Where does the cajón come from?
The cajón originates from Peru.
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q748455 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Cajón – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Luislema – CC BY-SA 4.0