PERCUSSION
TEN FOR TAMBOURINE | Mark Shelton
The tambourine is relatively small compared to many of its percussion family members , yet the instrument is packed with musical potential in the hands of a skilled player . A wide variety of tones , playing techniques , and rhythmic possibilities are available with tambourines . Dive further into the tambo-pool with these ten simple ideas that will deepen your skills , timbres , and creativity .
A TASTY ROLL Two types of rolls are used on tambourine : the shake roll and the thumb roll ( with the latter being limited to the headed tambourine ). Add a bit of spice by inserting a roll into a rhythm pattern . Check out these two examples :
SHAKE TWO Expand your palette of shake tambourine tone colors by combining the sounds of two different tambourines . By using both hands to shake a couple of contrasting instruments , you create a hybrid timbre .
mounted tambourine , or produced with the method shown in this short tutorial :
JUST THE JINGLES The riq is a Middle Eastern version of the headed tambourine . The Arabic instrument includes larger jingles than its Western cousin . The bigger zils allow the player to easily
PHOTO 1 access the disks for tapping . We can borrow from the riq technique and apply it to both the headed and shake tambourines . Hold the tambourine with the ring fingers under the jingles as shown in Photo 1 . Use an upward movement of the fingers to tap the zils against the jingle slots . With a bit of practice , you will be able to produce rapid rhythmic figures .
TAMB ON TAMB Using two instruments with different-sounding jingles , simply strike one tambourine with another to create a blended tone . Experiment with changing the position of the tambourines to increase or lessen the amount of sustain . Never mind the somewhat imprecise and slushy attack ; it ’ s part of the effect .
A BIT OF GRACE Grace notes can function as ornamental devices in music , but on percussion instruments , grace notes also provide a broadening effect to the primary note . Both the flam and drag rudiments are examples of how grace notes act as an embellishment along with the aural illusion of broadening . Grace notes may be tapped with the fingers , played hand-to-hand on a
EXAMPLE 1
Strike
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Shake
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116 August 2023 Subscribe for Free ...