What Are Tambourines Made of?
Identification Usually, the tambourine is made of wood with a calfskin, goatskin, or plastic drum head stretched across the top. Some tambourines are made of steel. Jingles typically are steel or brass, and often finger cymbals called zills are used for the jingles. Higher-priced models use jingles of copper, bronze, or silver. In rare cases, the tambourine has bells instead. Features Most tambourines are round, but some more unusual shapes are crescent, five-pointed stars or fish-shaped. The tambourine can be tuned just like a stringed or woodwind instrument, and although it might look easy to play one, professional musicians are very particular about the type of tambourine they use in certain songs and how the tambourine is tuned. History The instrument has its origins in the ancient Middle East; however, people also played it in China and Rome. Early versions of the tambourine, the tabret and timbel, appear in the Bible as part of celebratory or worship events as far back as 1750 BC
