Modern music could never exist without the humble tambourine. From orchestral music to rock bands and from school classrooms to the toy box, this little handheld percussive instrument is smacked and shaken all over the world. A tambourine is a bit like a frame drum, which is a drum with a skin (or batter head) stretched over the frame. A tambourine does it differently by adding a set of jingles, which can move around and collide to create that timeless tambourine sound. Some tambourines are just a ring mounted with jingles, doing away with the batter head altogether.
Different Tambourines
There are roughly two types of tambourine:
Tambourines With a Batter Head
Traditionally, a skin or batter head is stretched over the round frame of a tambourine, just like a frame drum, so the tambourine can be struck as well as shaken. You can compare the sound when you hit the batter head of a tambourine to the dryer sound of a pandeiro, which is a traditional samba drum.
Tambourines Without a Batter Head
Tambourines missing a batter head are actually the most common. You not only see them in the spare hand of a lot of lead singers, but also mounted onto a drum or percussion kit to add an extra sound effect.
Where Does the Tambourine Come From?
The origins of the tambourine is actually unknown, but there are drawings of the instrument found in West Africa, the Middle-East and India that date back to around 1700. This little instrument most likely made its way to Europe in the cargo of merchants, where it gained its name: tambourine.
A Drummer's Instrument
As well as handheld tambourines, you can get tambourines that can be mounted onto part of a drum kit like a cymbal stand, using a specialised clamp, or it can be mounted on top of the hi-hat. This nice add-on gives any drum kit the extra effect of that unique tambourine sound.
Playing a Tambourine
The tambourine is largely played by vocalists and percussionists and the main job of a tambourine is to support the back-beat, which falls on the second and fourth count. You can play the tambourine by either shaking it or hitting it against the palm of your hand. If you're playing a tambourine that has a batter head, then the range of percussive sound is wider. You can strike the head in various ways or even rub it to produce a rattlesnake-like sound.
Toy Tambourines for Kids & Babies
If you're looking for a toy tambourine that can handle being shaken and thrown around by a young child, then you can take a look at the smaller, 6 to 8 inch tambourines in our range by changing the filters on the left of the page.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Tambourine
What does a tambourine sound like?
The sound that the tambourine is best known for is the bright jangle of the metal jingles mounted on the frame. Tambourines with a batter head have a more drum-like sound that combines with the jingle sound. The precise sound of a tambourine depends on how it's struck, shaken, or the head is rubbed.
How does the tambourine work?
The little jingles of a tambourine are mounted onto the frame in such a way that they can move around and even collide with one another. So, every time you shake or strike a tambourine, the jingles literally jangle. If the tambourine has a batter head, then it works a little more like a more drum, but combined with the moving jingles.
Where does the tambourine come from?
The origin of the tambourine is actually unknown, but the earliest records we have of a tambourine existing were found in West Africa, India and the Middle-East.
What are tambourines made of?
The frame of a tambourine is usually made of wood or some kind of plastic. The jungles are made from a metal like steel or bronze, and the batter head is usually made of some synthetic material that mimics the sound of the animal skins that were traditionally used.
Where can I get a tambourine?
At Bax Music, we have more than a hundred different tambourines for you to choose from.
What does a tambourine look like?
A tambourine is a wooden or plastic ring mounted with metal jingles that look like tiny cymbals around the edge. Traditional tambourines have a skin or batter head stretched over the frame like a drum, but these days, most tambourines don't have a batter head.
