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| Percussion instrument | |
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| Other names |
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| Classification | Percussion |
| Hornbostel–Sachs classification | 111.242.1 (Individual bells) |
| Inventor(s) | Martin Cohen |
| Related instruments | |
| Builders | |
A jam block is a percussion instrument developed as a modern, hard plastic version of the woodblock.[1] They are popularly used for their durability when compared to the traditional woodblock. They were created by Martin Cohen, founder of Latin Percussion, after percussionist Marc Quiñones requested a sturdier version of the woodblock.[2]
Jam blocks are usually attached to timbales and drum kits, but they can also be used as standalone orchestral instruments. They are often used in salsa and other Latin American styles, although some modern drummers have used them in rock. They are also often used to keep time during marching band rehearsals where they are popularly known as "gock blocks".[3]
- ^ Strain, James Allen (2017). A Dictionary for the Modern Percussionist and Drummer. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 95. ISBN 978-0-8108-8693-3. OCLC 974035735.
- ^ Lapidus, Benjamin (2021). "More Mass Production: Martin Cohen's Latin Production". New York and the International Sound of Latin Music, 1940-1990. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 978-1-4968-3132-3. OCLC 1224583345.
- ^ Colwell, Richard; Fonder, Mark; Hewitt, Michael (2017). The Teaching of Instrumental Music (5th ed.). Taylor and Francis. p. 157. ISBN 978-1-317-21273-7. OCLC 1007082083.