Tambourine
previous
next
The Tambourine is a small drum consisting of a shallow wooden hoop frame, which is covered with a skin. Around the frame, pairs of loose circular metal disks are fitted into long slots cut parallel to the head. To play a rhythm, you shake the tambourine and hit it with your free hand. You can also rub it with your thumb, or bang it against your body.
| Family |
| Percussions |
| Pitch range |
| None. |
| Material |
| Calf-skin or plastic head, stretched over a wooden frame pierced with slots, into which are fitted loose, circular metal discs. |
| Size |
| Variable : usually 6-12 in (15-30 cm) in diameter, and about 2 in (5 cm) deep. |
| Origins |
| The tambourine was known in Biblical times. It may have originated in Egypt and Assyria (now north Iraq). |
| Classification |
| Membranophone: an instrument that produces its sound by the vibration of a stretched skin. |
| And also... |
| According to the Old Testament, the Israelites played the tambourine to celebrate their success in crossing the Red Sea, thus escaping Egyptian tyranny. |
