My percussion set-up changes according to playing requirements. The photo below illustrates the set-up I used during the Australian Art Orchestra's 1996 New Horizons Indian tour: congas, glockenspiel, vibraphone, timpani, tam tam, suspended cymbal, concert bass drum and snare drum.  My percussion collection also includes: bongos, timbales, timbalitos, maracas, chekeres, güiro, güicharo, güira, cowbells, quijada, claves, quinto cajon, cuá, catá, bata, tambora, pandereta, repinique, surdo, shakers, tamborim, pandeiro, agogo bells, wooden agogo, frigideira, cuica, afoxe, reco reco, cabasa, berimbau, caxixi, samba whistles, cajon, cajita, bombo, palo de agua, cascajuellas, triangle, tom tom, rototoms, tambourine, castanets, sleigh bells, wind gong, spoons, woodblocks, temple blocks, finger cymbals, mark tree, key tree, bell tree, wind chimes, shell chimes, bamboo chimes, stone chimes, toy hammers, flexatone, slapstick, ratchet, bean shaker, bird calls, frame drum, clay pot, djembe, talking drum, gankogui, axatse, sakara, log drum, slit drums, kalimba, dumbek, reque, mazhar, dhol, tar, duf, tabla, dholaki, tasha, swordstick, monkey drum, garba, duff, kartal, duffari, damroo, ghungru, madal, bodhran, rattles, angklung, kokiriko and marimba.

Being a percussionist one tends to collect instruments all the time. My first love were congas, from there my collection just took off! As I have worked in recording studios a lot, any sound no matter how strange, will find its place on a record, jingle or motion picture soundtrack at some stage. As a result I have used all the instruments in my collection at one time or another.  The instruments in my collection range from sound effect instruments, rhythm instruments, to tuned percussion instruments.

In terms of shakers for example I have a vast collection; plastic, metal, aluminium, and with all kinds of materials inside; rice, sand, beads, beans, etc. I remember working on a Little River Band record and looking for the "perfect shaker" for this particular track. The "perfect shaker" ended up being a tiny plastic medicine bottle filled with sugar! It sounded just great on that track.  I also ended up playing a table on a "Hunters & Collector tracks several years ago!  Other interesting acquisitions are some beautiful brass snare drums and metal shakers I found while touring India and wonderful gongs while on tour in Singapore.

As part of my ongoing research, I am investigating percussion instruments and styles from different regions of the Americas.  One of the areas I am very interested in, is the coast of Peru, where a distinctive Afro-Peruvian style developed with many unique instruments including the cajon, cajita and quijada. Thanks to my friend Javier Leon Quiros I have just acquired a quijada.  The instrument is made out of a donkey's jaw, it is scraped with a thin stick and struck with a closed fist to give that distinctive rattle sound.  My latest acquisitions include the wonderful range of percussion that Meinl are currently offering, this includes great sounding congas, bongos, shakers, djembe, rain maker and berimbau among others and a very special cymbal series by Sabian.

Copyright © 1996-2003 Alex Pertout