How the stomp box makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the stomp box 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.
Press play above and watch the spectrum: the evenly spaced peaks are harmonics, and their relative strength is what gives the instrument its character.
From Wikipedia
A stomp box (or stompbox) is a percussion instrument consisting of a small box placed under the foot, which is tapped or stamped on rhythmically to produce a sound similar to that of a bass drum. A stomp box allows a performer such as a singer or guitar player to create a simple rhythmic self-accompaniment. Stompboxes are most commonly used in American folk and blues music, but they are also used across the musical spectrum.
There are commercially produced stomp boxes available, such as the Wild Dog stomp box, Roland percussion pad, and Wazinator stomp box, but performers often simply mount a dynamic microphone inside whatever wooden box they have handy. Some homemade stomp boxes include customized features such as a built-in preamp or equalizer.
Other struck idiophones
Frequently asked questions
What does a stomp box 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 stomp box?
It is classified as struck idiophones (Hornbostel–Sachs 111.24).
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q3998771 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Stomp box – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Ovation72 – Public domain