Tambourine << `tam` buh REEN >> is a percussion instrument that consists of a narrow wooden or metal hoop with a thin sheet of plastic or animal skin stretched across one side. All tambourines have small metal disks attached to the hoop. Performers hold the tambourine in one hand. They play it by striking it with the other hand, by hitting it against the knee or upper leg, and by shaking it. The tambourine was made popular by Turkish soldiers called Janissaries, who played the instrument in military bands from the 1400’s to the early 1800’s. Western musicians began using the tambourine during the 1700’s.
