Percussion

Howard uses different percussive instruments. Such as:

• Shakers. Attached to his right hand stick for live performances of City of Delusion, it was also used on Endlessly. Sometimes this is played by Morgan Nicholls.
• Balafon. A west African Xylophone which can be seen on Hullabaloo DVD (Disc 1) during Screenager.
• Animal bones, and even llama toe nails were used for the unique drum sounds heard on Screenager, aside from rim shots on beats 2 and 4.
• 11" Ribbon Crasher (and a 15" on certain occasions). Mounted over his Ride cymbal and next to his 12" rack tom now a days. Can be heard on Megalomania, Apocalypse Please, Time Is Running Out and the B-side Eternally Missed, as well as live versions of Hysteria. It is also quite audible in the Helsinki Jam.
• Hang. This can be heard on the intro for Falling Away With You. It works like a steel drum that is played with the fingertips, thumbs and the heel of the palm. Dom can be seen recording the intro on the Making of Absolution Documentary DVD.
• Timpani. Dom uses in live performances the timpani at the beginning of Exogenesis: Symphony Pt. 1 Overture; He also used it on Knights of Cydonia and Supremacy
• Tambourine. Matt and Dom used it on Endlessly while recording aswell as other various songs in Muse's discography.
• Gong. Used at the end of I Belong to You and Survival
• Tablas. Used on Animals
• Concert bass drum. Used on Unsustainable and Survival
• Cardboard boxes and an aluminium chair. Throwing them around the studio and later covering them in tons of reverb gave a thunderclap effect to the intro of The Globalist. Played by Bellamy and not Howard.
• Taiko. Dom's been seen using it in the studio while recording for Simulation Theory.
• Tribal drums. Used on various songs on Simulation Theory

Dom Howard describes the Hang: "A thing that looks like a cross between a barbeque and a flying saucer. It's like an inverted metal drum with a pentatonic C scale on the top that you tap with your hands. It's made by this company called PANArt. It's a really cool sounding instrument that's pleasurable to play and so relaxing as well."

Gallery

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  Balafon, used on Screenager

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  Tablas, used on Animals

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  Shaker, used on City of Delusion

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  Dom playing the Hang, as shown in the "Making of Absolution" DVD

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  Howard with a Taiko and a set of tribal drums, recording Simulation Theory.