The musical instruments used to play Rumba are three drums, called Quinto, Salidor, and Tres golpe; a pair of metal drums (nkembi) worn on the wrists by the Quinto de la Columbia player; and a pair of claves used by the singer to mark the rhythm.
Generally, in the Yambú, and sometimes in the Guaguancó, two wooden boxes or drums are used. The smaller one, almost always made from a small candle box, has a higher-pitched sound and acts as the fifth drum. The larger one, constructed from some of the larger drums used to carry the codfish, has a deeper sound and acts as the conga drum. The drums are also used to beat spoons, knock on doors, and anything else that allowed the black man to create the rhythm. Two of the drums, the first conga drum and the second or third drum, mark the basic rhythm. The third conga drum, called the fifth drum, plays the improvised beats and flourishes directed at the dancers.

The tumbadora is a drum created in Cuba that, unlike African drums, has keys; it can be tuned and scores can be written. Today, it is a universal instrument.

At the beginning of the Republic, it was made known by two composers of Danzones, Papaíto Torroella and Antonio María Romeu, and a new group for performing Danzones, in which all wind instruments were eliminated except the flute, the tympani was replaced by a pan, and the piano was included.

Among the instrumental formats of 20th-century Cuban music, another prototype emerged: the Charanga Francesa. Its predecessor was the Unión Armónica, from Matanzas, which played in 1890 at the Saratoga Glorieta with the following instruments: piano, flute, violin, and double bass.

The Charanga Francesa consisted of a five-key wooden flute, piano, violin, double bass, and a Creole timpani or güiro (gourd). A second violin was later added, and when circumstances permitted, a cello and viola were also included. In the case of Antonio María Romeu’s orchestra, a clarinet, trombone, trumpet, and a singer were sometimes added. There were orchestras, such as that of the Ateneo, which used six violins, two flutes, a cello, double bass, piano, timpani, güiro, and a muted cornet. The presence of the piano allowed for the development of virtuosity, not only on the piano but also on the flute and other instruments that demonstrated their importance throughout the 20th century.
The trumpet is a musical instrument belonging to the family of brass instruments, made of a metal alloy. The sound is produced by the vibration of the player’s lips in the part called the mouthpiece, driven by the air column (airflow). The trumpet is constructed from a spirally bent brass tube, usually approximately 180 cm long, with various valves or pistons, ending in a flared mouthpiece, known as a bell or pavilion.
This instrument is made entirely of brass, bronze, silver, and nickel. The modern trumpet is commonly made of brass and is sometimes electroplated with silver, nickel, gold, or copper. It measures approximately 50 cm (20 inches). In the 20th century, it has been a prominent instrument in a variety of musical styles. It can be found in any symphony or chamber concert hall as a soloist or alongside other instruments, or in any jazz club.
An important musical format in our country during those years was the Cuban trio, which has a rich history. They originated in a relationship with trova: in musicians’ gatherings, in cantatas, which were performed in a park, at a serenade, or in a home.
Son became habanero in the Cuban capital, nourished by new instruments, other formats, and rhythms and variations such as the guajira and the choruses of clave and guaguancó. It also drew on variations of rumba and Afro-style melodies. As a result of its popularization, it became the most popular Cuban music genre in the early decades of the 20th century. Son trios, quartets, quintets, and sextets began to increase in number. The pioneer of these groups was the Sexteto Habanero, which dominated the record players of the time starting in 1925.
The Sextet consisted of guitar, tres, double bass (originally a marímbula), bongo, maracas, and claves. This instrumental format added a trumpet around 1927, becoming the Septet.