One of the distinguishing features of the traditional Spanish tambourine (sometimes referred to as a Basque or "Gypsy" tambourine) are jingles that are fluted (or crinkled). This effectively controls the resonance of the instrument while at the same time adding a focused richness to the sound. The result is an instrument that has a spirited "folk-like" quality. The sonority of this instrument can be called "gritty" and is a little less refined than our modern orchestral series tambourines.
We've redesigned the solid Ash shell to mimic some of the vintage instruments in our collection. Replacing individual jingle slots are three wide channels which house four pairs of jingles each. This single-row instrument has a total of 24 hand-fluted silver alloy jingles. In addition, the natural skin head is slightly thicker and features a textured surface. This helps dampen the head sound while also providing an easy surface on which to play finger rolls.
Lightweight and easy to manipulate, our Spanish Silver Tambourine is perfect for pieces which call for a "rustic" yet professional sounding tambourine. Perfect for Spanish literature like "La Vida Breve", "Espana", and "Rapsodie Espangnol", this instrument will surely add a unique and valuable color to any percussionist's sound palette!
