Tambourines

A musical instrument that is commonly associated with beach-music bands in which a cute girl in the band needs an excuse to be on stage, the tambourine actually has a rich history and has been used as a serious musical instrument by many cultures and in many ways.

Percussion

The percussion family of instruments are played by being struck, shaken, scraped or otherwise banged about. The name percussion says it all, as it means "the hitting of one body against another," and tambourines are defiantly percussion instruments. Typically played by either beating the instrument against a leg or hip, they can also be struck or shaken to produce a surprising variety of sounds.

The Tambourine

The tambourine appears to be a drumhead detached from the rest of the drum. Often very narrow, the skin of the tambourine is stretched across a looped, circular frame and set with miniature cymbals called jingles. The small metal jingles can produce music solely when the tambourine is shaken, or they accompany the rap as the skin (either made from a sheet of plastic or animal skin) is struck.

Music