Tambourine

What it means

The tambourine is a flat wooden frame with a stretched head, in whose rim small metal jingles are set in pairs. The head is struck with the hand, fingers, or knuckles; likewise the instrument can be shaken, so that only the jingles sound. It thus combines two sound generators: the head as a membranophone and the jingles as self-sounding metal parts. It has no definite pitch. There are also frames without a head, consisting only of the rim and jingles.

In the notation

The tambourine is notated on one line in the percussion staff. Important are word indications for the manner of playing: striking, shaking, or thumb roll; they sound completely different. Rolls appear as tremolo strokes, with the notated text able to leave open whether a shake roll or a thumb roll is meant.

Musical use

The instrument is widespread in numerous traditions of the Mediterranean region and beyond, and connected with dance. In European orchestral music it appears since the eighteenth century, often to evoke a dance-like or southern tone, later generally as a rhythmic colour. Its sound is bright and projects well, which is why it is deliberately dosed. Characteristic is the combination of a clearly audible attack and the ringing jingle rustle afterward — the two belong together and determine how distinct a rhythm seems.

Performance practice

Hold the instrument slightly tilted and strike with the fingertips close to the rim, where the head is tauter; in the middle it sounds duller. For quiet passages a tap with one finger suffices. Produce the thumb roll by leading the moistened thumb across the head so that it slides jerkily — this needs practice and the right amount of moisture. For very fast rhythms, place the instrument on the knee and play with both hands alternating. Deliberately damp the jingle rustle at the end at the rim.

Bear in mind that instruments with many jingles ring on for a long time and can blur rhythmic figures: for distinct rhythms, models with few pairs of jingles are better suited. Keep several instruments ready and choose according to the passage. With the shake roll, the volume arises from the amplitude, not from the speed. Watch the ending: an uncontrolled ringing-out of the jingles seems careless, which is why the rim is damped. Check the head before use, because it sags in humidity.