How to Play the Cowbell: 3 Music Styles That Feature Cowbells

A cowbell is a hand percussion instrument modeled after the real life bell that herdsmen placed around the necks of domestic cows. Typically made of brass or steel, cowbells are idiophones, which means they produce sound via the vibration of the entire musical instrument. Some cowbells contain clappers—a dangling pendulum inside the instrument. Clapper cowbells are popular in classical music, while clapperless cowbells are more common in rock, pop, and Latin music. Striking the metal bell with a wood cowbell beater (typically a standard drumstick) produces the idiomatic cowbell sound.

Cowbells are featured in a remarkably diverse array of musical genres, spanning both centuries and continents.

1. 1. Latin American music: The cowbell is a standby of Latin percussion ensembles. A Latin percussionist may switch back and forth between cowbell and timbales or bongos. The sounds of Cuban mambo cowbell or cha-cha cowbell are common in Cuban music. Brazilian samba and bossa nova ensembles may also make use of cowbells, or agogo bells.
2. 2. Classical music: Classical music ensembles also use cowbell as part of a vast percussion section. Classical cowbell players may double on bass drum, handbells, mallet instruments, or nearly any other percussion instrument apart from timpani (which traditionally has a dedicated specialist). Though most cowbells are not tuned to precise pitches, alpine bells, or almglocken, are cowbell sets tuned to diatonic or chromatic scales. Richard Strauss's Alpine Symphony and various Gustav Mahler symphonies showcase tuned cowbells within an orchestral percussion section.
3. 3. Rock ‘n’ Roll and popular music: Rock and pop drummers occasionally affix cowbells to their drum kits. You can hear clapperless cowbell percussion riffs on rock songs like "Honky Tonk Women" by The Rolling Stones, "Drive My Car" by The Beatles, and "Nightrain" by Guns N' Roses. Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham's drum kit was as famous for its cowbell as its clear acrylic drum shells.

To play the cowbell, you simply strike the instrument with a beater—most commonly with drumsticks. The force at which a percussionist strikes the cowbell determines the volume of the sound.

When playing a handheld cowbell, hold the instrument in your non-dominant hand and use your dominant hand to strike it with the beater. When affixing a cowbell to a drum set, you can use your own judgement as to where to place the cowbell. A popular choice is to attach the cowbell to your crash cymbal stand and let it hover above your rack toms. Some drummers mount their cowbell to the bass drum. Where you ultimately put yours will depend on how frequently you use cowbell as part of your sound; the more cowbell you use, the easier it should be to access.

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