The Abstract
Having a piano with all the same strings wouldn’t work. Having a violin with all the same strings also would not work....all musical instruments have the capacity for the player to vary the amount of effort required to bring out a range of dynamics and colours based on, the physical attributes of the instrument and how they have been developed to facilitate the widest possible range of pitch, sustain and response..
Why would you use a tambourine with jingles that are all the same?
The Solution
Musical instruments and the musicians who perform on them rely on a combination of factors which need to be supported by the instrument. It doesn’t matter what instrument we are talking about - the instrument needs to help the performer.
A fine instrument doesn’t control the performer and make all their decisions. A fine instrument doesn’t have a strong personality which is insensitive or too powerful. A fine musical instrument is flexible and responsive and will support the performer when they play with strength, and when they play so softly.....sometimes so softly you can ‘feel’ the sound rather than hear it.
These fine musical instruments are multi-dimensional. They respond to the musician and support all types of effort, touch and dexterity.
This is the essence of tambourineLAB instruments.
A tambourine with all the same jingles has a limited range of colour and sound spectrum. For the reasons string instruments have different strings, wind and brass players adjust their embouchure to play different notes, and singers need to use different amounts of effort to produce pitch, colour and timbre - it’s vital to have the instrument work in such a way that you have a full range of touch, colour, sensitivity and response available in all musical settings.
tambourineLAB instruments are the next generation of tambourines.
Pitch
A musical sound is complex. It has multiple elements of sustain, resonance, decay and pitch in three zones, high, medium and low.
When we choose a cymbal, or a pair of cymbals, we know to listen for the pitch. We compare the highs, mids and lows and select cymbals which have a range of colours and pitches…try it with your tambourine.
A mixture of pitches and colours brings vitality and interest to your tambourine.
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Hammering
Our most beautiful cymbals are hand-hammered. Our most beautiful timpani are hand-hammered.
It’s the hand-hammering which brings out the complexity of sound and also brings tension into the metal.....this tension in the shaping allows the metal to resonate. This can’t be done without individual hammering.
tambourineLAB jingles are 100% hand cut, hand shaped, hand hammered. No dies, no pressing, no bulk lots….every single one made as an individual with a minimum of 300 hammer blows in each and every jingle.....one hammer, one anvil....that’s it
