Why is it called a tambourine

But the tambourine as a part of folk entertainment is not confined to Europe; it is also found in many other cultures, for instance in China, India, Peru, Greenland, the Caucasus and central Asia. The medieval tambourine consisted of a rectangular or round flat wood frame with a single head; the underside was open.

Four or more pairs of jingles were let into the shell at regular intervals. In addition to or instead of the jingles small bells or other objects that produced a rattling noise were fixed to the frame. The tambourine was struck either with the flat of the hand or with the fingers in the same way as its ancient predecessor. Medieval paintings and carvings, as well as religious manuscripts, often portray the instrument being played by angels.

On the other hand, the tambourine was also a favorite instrument of itinerant entertainers and minstrels.

Rubbing your hand briskly across the drumhead will produce a whisking noise. Though an ancient instrument, its structure has remained virtually unchanged. Tambourines were played in ancient Mesopotamia, Greece, and Rome, especially in religious contexts, and they have long been prominent in Middle Eastern folk and religious use.

Crusaders took them to Europe in the 13th century. The tambourine can be traced down to Egypt and Greece, although it was not called the tambourine; the Hebrews called it tof. Still wondering how the name came about? The tambourine is a mixture of French tambourin Arab tunbur from the Middle Persian word tambur. The French tambourin is a long narrow drum used in Provence while the Arabian word tunbur means drum. That is the reason for the name tambourine which means an instrument with a drumhead; despite the fact that some tambourines do not have drumheads.

The tambourine has a lot of creative shapes although the popular shape is the round or circular tambourine. Tambourines in many cultures are used by dancers in religious ceremonies or in entertainment.

Tambourines are common in folk music, and have been an important instrument in this genre in Europe for many years. The tambourine is often used to teach music to children and is commonly used in music created for children's entertainment. The tambourine is traditionally made of a wooden hoop, with jingles attached, and often with a head or soft shell. The jingles are referred to as 'zils'.

The head of the tambourine is often stretched over a hoop and then attached to the wood hoop.