Sistrum
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The Sistrum is a U-shaped rattle, known to have been used in ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman traditions. This type of sistrum is used today in Ethiopian religious music, and very occasionally in orchestral music to give a eastern flavor. The loose, metal disks clatter together when shaken, but if they are stroked, the sound has a quieter, rustling quality.
| Family |
| Percussions |
| Pitch range |
| None. |
| Material |
| Metal, with a wooden handle. |
| Size |
| Variable, but usually about 9 in (23 cm) long. |
| Origins |
| There are records of the sistrum being played in the 3rd millenium in Asia Minor. It is still played today among the Copts (a Christian sect), and in the Christian church in Ethiopia, where this example comes from. |
| Classification |
| Idiophone: an instrument that produces its sound through the use of the material from which it is made, without needing strings or a stretched skin. |
| And also... |
| The ancient Egyptians used the sistrum in religious ceremonies for warding off evil spirits. |
