History of percussion

Since there are so many different percussion instruments, I'll focus on the ones usually found in bands or orchestras.  (An orchestral percussionist will usually learn snare drum, xylophone, and timpani.)

Snare Drum
The snare drum originated in the Middle East.  It's been used in the orchestra since the beginning of the 18th century, but its role was significant starting in the 19th century.  Snare drums can have different diameters, resulting in different pitches.  For example, the orchestral snare drum is lighter in tone than the marching snare drum.

According to my source, the tradition way to hold the sticks is the left stick horizontal and the right stick extending from the thumb and index finger.  There are may different types of strokes, such as single, double or bounced.  In addition, a roll can be open (a series of double strokes) or closed (each stroke bounces - the hands are just moving quickly).  All strokes are normally played in the center of the drum head, except for a rimshot.  This is hitting the center and the rim at the same time, or laying one stick across the drum and hitting it with the other stick.

Timpani

The ranges of various
percussion instruments

The timpani originated in Africa and the Middle East and first appeared in the orchestra in 1675.  In 1812, a master screw was developed that could alter the pitch of all the tuning screws at once.  However, this was at the cost of the purity of the tone.  By 1880, pedal-tuned drums had been developed and became the norm of the orchestra.  Then, plastic timpani heads were introduced in 1960.

A typical orchestra has five timpani, each of which has a comfortable range of a fifth.  It can take years for a timpanist to achieve dexterity, coordination, and a good tuning ear.

Xylophone (and other keyboard percussion)
The xylophone originated from the balafon, an African xylophone.  It first appeared in Europe in 1850s and became an orchestral instrument in the 19th century.

Keyboard percussion is struck at either the middle or the very end of the bar to achieve a resonant sound.  Therefore, a percussionist must be able to accurately move and hit notes.  This fluency requires a good memory and lots of practice.