Tambourine

Tambourine, a very ancient instrument of the drum species, much used by the Biscayan and South Italian peasants at their festivities, and sometimes introduced into orchestral music where the subject of the piece is connected with a people who use it. It is composed of a piece of parchment stretched on the top of a hoop furnished with little bells, and is sounded by the hand, fingers, or elbow. When sharply struck by the hand the tambourine has not much effect, unless used in numbers. When sounded by gliding the fingers along the parchment a roll results, in which the bells are chiefly heard; and by rubbing the parchment without quitting it with the whole weight of the thumb the instrument gives out a wild, grotesque sound which is sometimes of service in masquerade scenes. The tambourine is nowadays much used by negro minstrels and Salvationists, and as a surface for young ladies' paintings.