A while back I purchased a Yamaha mixing “desk” that came bundled with Cubase recording software. It was a relatively cheap way for me to get into home recording. Unfortunately I don’t have any dedicate recording room or anything like that, and I live in a noisy environment with, airconditioners, fans etc. I tell you this to demonstrate that my goals are modest, I’m not trying for anything of studio quality or even close to it.
My instruments at present consist of a Maton acoustic guitar, a Fender Tele, and a Carvin valve amplifier. Due to a lack of technicians within over 1000 miles of my home, the Tele and amp are both unservicable and likely to remain that way until next year when I move. I am left with an acoustic guitar with which I’m trying to make music, or even just capture musical ideas as I jam away by myself. Although a lot of fun, this has become rather one dimensional and I’d really like to add something to my tracks. A cheap option seems to be some simple percussion. Now I’m no percussionist, in fact I really know nothing about it. What would be some good value versatile percussion instruments I could get to accompany my acoustic guitar? I’m thinking tamberine, small hand drums, that sort of thing.
Since you are already using your computer for making music, maybe some software would be interesting?
A pretty good program for making beats (as well as entire songs, if you want to) is Propellerheads Reason.
It has all the drum sounds you could think of, as well as synthezisers, pianos, bass sounds, etc, etc.
It’s not too hard to get started with either.
A couple of my favorite drums are a small frame drum with a rawhide head that I got in Taos and a large frame drum with fibreskin (synthetic) head that I’ve had for decades (link below). I hold them in my left hand and tap out rhythms with my fingers. They take up little room and if you like drumming on tabletops with your fingertips are a lot of fun. A good basic hand drum is a djembe. Lots of sounds in there but if you’re isolated a remo djembe with a plastic head might be the way to go since changing skin heads on a djembe is a pain. I guess it depends on how likely it is that you’ll damage a skin head. A hot dry NY apartment did mine in. I got a lot of mileage out of my bongos but don’t use them much anymore. I have a big nickel doumbek but never really got inspired by the sound. I like hand drums that I can get sort of a twang out of with my fingers and a fundamental with my full hand.
Also Guiro, and there’s a version of this percussion instrument that is sold whimsically shaped like a frog. Aren’t there also hollowed out wood blocks that you can strike with a mallet also, (they don’t give a note, just that crisp click) or are those part of a xylophone set? (ETA: Nevermind on the indigo it’s wood blocks I am thinking of.) I can’t believe no one mentioned cowbell, tamborine, or maracas yet.
Haven’t seen these these guys in years, but I know them well. Rob Silverman will have answers to any percussion-related question, and he will write back to you personally!
Thanks everyone. Etumretniw, I will no doubt move to a PC based rhythm program at some stage. I also plan on getting a keyboard which opens up plenty of possibilities as well.
I’ve just gone out and bought some bongos to start with, I’ll see how I go with them. Now I just have to learn some interesting rhythms. All of the other suggestions are interesting to me, keep them coming. The bongos came with a catalogue that has opened my eyes to the variety of percussion instruments available. They even had a frog shaped guiro.
Tambourines, maracas, güiro, caxixi, clapping sticks and claves are all small, hand held percussion instruments. Also, it may be that what your music needs is more cowbell!
Interestingly, I’d never been aware of the frog guiros before, but today I’ve seen them on the website linked by Zabali_Clawbane, I’ve seen them in the catalogue that came with my bongos, and there were three of different sizes perched on the reception desk at my daughter’s child-care centre (of all places.)
I had a bit of a recording session tonight, puting down several guitar tracks and the bongos. After a few false starts I ended up with something quite pleasing to me. It was interesting how the addition of a percussion instrument took me in a direction I wasn’t expecting. I started out with a little guitar riff that I’d stumbled across yesterday, but by the end of tonight the riff had become a small part of a greater whole, and the feel had changed altogether. To the point that I re-recorded the first couple of tracks to make them better fit the groove. It was a bit like jamming with other people except the feedback was necessarily delayed.
(ETA: Nevermind on the indigo it’s wood blocks I am thinking of.) I can’t believe no one mentioned cowbell, tamborine, or maracas yet. 
