Jam Block

A jam block is a modern, hard plastic version of the more fragile wood block, and is sometimes referred to as a "clave block", "gock block" or "temple block". It is sturdy, designed for hard hitting and is becoming more and more popular with modern drummers and percussionists, due to its durability and sound.

Jam blocks are usually attached to timbales and drum kits or are used as stand alone orchestra instruments. These blocks are often used in Salsa, Cuban, and Latin American music, although some modern drummers have made use of them in rock songs. Jam Blocks are often used in the marching percussion idiom as well.

More modern versions are plastic (PVC, nylon, bakelite, resin, etc.) to produce all sorts of dry, dull and tuned sounds.