The congas are tall drums, ranging from 28 to 32 inches in height. The player uses both hands to produce salsa's lowest-frequency rhythms.
The bongos are a matched set of two small- to medium-sized drums, made from wood or fiberglass. Each set features drums of different size to produce two distinct tones.
The timbales are another matched set of drums, larger than the bongos and often made with a metal shell to produce a higher, more percussive tone.
Commonly associated with Mexican musical styles, the maracas are a pair of small, handled cavities filled with beads or seeds that produce a raspy rhythm when shaken.
The guiro is a large handheld capsule--originally a gourd--scored with a ring of horizontal lines. The player scrapes the lines rhythmically with a thin rod.
The glave is simply two wooden rods of differing size. The player strikes them together to produce a percussive tone.