Tambourine

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The Tambourine is a small drum consisting of a shallow wooden hoop frame, which is covered with a skin. Around the frame, pairs of loose circular metal disks are fitted into long slots cut parallel to the head. To play a rhythm, you shake the tambourine and hit it with your free hand. You can also rub it with your thumb, or bang it against your body.

Family
Percussions
Pitch range
None.
Material
Calf-skin or plastic head, stretched over a wooden frame pierced with slots, into which are fitted loose, circular metal discs.
Size
Variable : usually 6-12 in (15-30 cm) in diameter, and about 2 in (5 cm) deep.
Origins
The tambourine was known in Biblical times. It may have originated in Egypt and Assyria (now north Iraq).
Classification
Membranophone: an instrument that produces its sound by the vibration of a stretched skin.
And also...
According to the Old Testament, the Israelites played the tambourine to celebrate their success in crossing the Red Sea, thus escaping Egyptian tyranny.

picture of Tambourine