19 Percussion Instruments for Your Elementary Classroom

A collection of percussion instruments for elementary classrooms, including jingle bells on wristbands, a cabasa, a guiro, mallets, a glockenspiel with colorful keys in a red case, and rhythm sticks. The text reads "19 Percussion Instruments for Your Elem
February 27, 2025 24 min read
19 Percussion Instruments for Your Elementary Classroom

Designed specifically for music educators, Basic Beat is West Music’s exclusive brand of percussion instruments and accessories. Our collection includes a variety of non-pitched percussion instruments ideal for elementary school settings. By developing and sourcing products directly from manufacturers, we offer quality instruments at the best prices.

Below are some of our most popular elementary school instruments. Whether you’re looking for a specialized effect to grab the attention of your students or an Orff table stand to hold your xylophone, West Music has you covered!

Music Classroom Instrument Finder Quiz

Find Your Perfect Classroom Instruments

Answer the following questions to discover which Basic Beat instruments might be the best fit for your music classroom.

What age group do you primarily teach?
What is your primary focus in the music classroom?
What is your classroom budget consideration?
How much storage space do you have available?
What sound characteristics are you looking for?
What teaching approach do you prefer?

Your Recommended Classroom Instruments

Based on your responses, these 3 instruments would be great additions to your music classroom:

Check Out Your Recommended Basic Beat Instruments Below

Scroll down to learn more about these quality classroom instruments and how to incorporate them into your music curriculum.

Basic Beat Non-Pitched Percussion Instruments for Elementary Classrooms

Basic Beat Instruments

Temple Blocks Set

The Basic Beat Temple Block set is an excellent addition to your collection of classroom percussion instruments. Crafted from laminated wood, these non-pitched percussion instruments offer five distinct tones. The set includes a sturdy, height-adjustable stand and a pair of rubber mallets, ensuring durability and ease of use in elementary school settings.

Key-Tuned Bongos

The Basic Beat Key-Tuned Bongos set, complete with a height-adjustable stand, is ideal for elementary school music programs. These simple percussion instruments are easy to tune and built to endure regular classroom use. Purchasing the set together offers cost savings, making it a practical choice for school percussion needs

Basic Beat Instruments

Egg Shaker

Simple in design, these Basic Beat egg shakers can produce a myriad of sounds. Cup one in the palm of one hand and use one in the finger tips of your other and you get two distinct sounds that complement each other. Cup in one hand with fingers closed around the egg for beats one and two then open your fingers for beats three and four to get two totally different sounds for a unique shake rhythm! 

Wrist Bells

Early childhood music teachers and general music educators love these bells for their students! They can be attached to wrists or a small ankle, and the kids come up with the most creative ways to move in order to get the bells to ring! They can be used for creative movement, to keep a steady beat, or to just shake and have fun! 

Basic Beat Instruments

Plastic Finger Castanets

When used in pairs these colorful castanets are universally accepted by dance artists, music teachers, music therapists, early childhood music teachers and more.  Their clackety-clack, crisp sound is comparable to more expensive wooden castanets.

Stamped Finger Cymbals

Ever feel like everything is right with your children’s percussion ensemble piece except for…well something to really top it off? That smile inducing “ting” or “ching” that can only be achieved using finger cymbals may be just the thing! These Basic Beat finger cymbals are lighter and brighter and perfect for songs or sound effects while reading poems and stories to your class! 

Basic Beat Pitched Percussion Instruments

Basic Beat Instruments

12-Note Glockenspiel with Case

The Basic Beat 12-Note Glockenspiel is fully compact inside its own hardshell case. A convenient magnetic staff board is on the inner case and aids in teaching musical notation, this is a great tool for students beginning to read musical staff notation. 

8-Note Resonator Bells with Case

These colorful Basic Beat resonator bells are sure to be a welcome addition to your classroom, church or home musical instrument collection. Little ones will be drawn to these bright colored bells which can be played by as many as eight children as individual resonator bells, or by one child as an eight-note set!

Resonator Chime Bars

The Basic Beat Resonator Chime Bars match the colors of Boomwhackers and because of their C diatonic scale are perfect for most musical pieces. The bars are tube shaped and can be individually held. They come with their own case and 8 mallets, what more could you ask for? 

Basic Beat Mallets

Basic Beat Instruments

Timpani Mallets

The Basic Beat Timpani Mallets aren’t just for timpani! If you’re looking for a universal mallet that could be used on most of the unpitched percussion in your classroom, this is it. The wool/felt combination make a great sound on cymbals, frame drums, gongs, and anything with resonating surface area.

Basic Beat Percussion Instrument Accessories

Basic Beat Instruments

Rolling Orff Stand

What we like about this Orff stand is it was designed by us! We put our heads together, looked at what we would want an Orff instrument stand to do if we were still in the classroom and came up with this stand. It fits your bass xylophones or metallophones as well as the sopranos and altos, or tenor/altos in the case of Sonor instruments. It’s easy to switch from one size of instrument to another and then adjust once you get there. Here’s the part we really like, no tools needed, ever. 

Basic Beat Guarantee 

Did you know, when you choose Basic Beat branded products, each item includes a 1-year replacement warranty? West Music takes pride, care, and consideration to create quality products at affordable prices.  If anything detrimental should happen to your Basic Beat instrument or accessory, if you are not fully satisfied with your Basic Beat purchase, or if there are any product defects discovered within the first year; we are happy to exchange it for a replacement item or credit your account for a future purchase.  Please note: All exchanges and/or replacements are subject to approval.  All you need to do for resolution is to give us a call at 800-397-9378 or email service@westmusic.com to complete the process. We are here to help!

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