A castanet (usually used in the plural, castanets; known in Spanish as castañuelas or palillos) is a percussion instrument consisting of two concave shells joined at one edge by a cord. The shells are clicked together to produce sharp rhythmic accents and rapid rolls.
Castanets are classed as concussion idiophones: their own solid shells vibrate when struck against each other.
The English word dates from the 17th century and comes from Spanish castañeta, a diminutive of castaña, meaning chestnut, whose shape the instrument resembles.
Castanet-like clappers have a long history. The ancient Greek krotalon and Roman crotalum were wooden or metal clappers manipulated in one hand to accompany dancing.
The English word dates from the 17th century and comes from Spanish castañeta, a diminutive of castaña, meaning chestnut, whose shape the instrument resembles.
Castanet-like clappers have a long history. The ancient Greek krotalon and Roman crotalum were wooden or metal clappers manipulated in one hand to accompany dancing.
Ancient Egyptian clappers are among the earliest known percussion instruments. Surviving Middle Kingdom examples were carved from hippopotamus ivory in the shape of hands and forearms.
Castanets were played in Spain throughout the Middle Ages and are shown in illustrations from the 11th century onwards. Roman-era dancers from Cádiz were also known to use metal castanets.
Traditional castanets are made from resonant hardwoods, although modern examples may use fibreglass or plastic.
A dancer normally wears one pair on each thumb and plays the shells with the fingers. Successive finger strokes create the characteristic rapid roll.
The two pairs are pitched differently. The higher-sounding hembra (“female”) is normally played in the right hand, while the lower-sounding macho (“male”) is played in the left.
In parts of Andalusia and in the Spanish dance world, castanets are called palillos, meaning “little sticks.” They commonly accompany regional Spanish dances such as sevillanas and fandangos, but are not used in every flamenco style.
Castanets were played in Spain throughout the Middle Ages and are shown in illustrations from the 11th century onwards. Roman-era dancers from Cádiz were also known to use metal castanets.
Traditional castanets are made from resonant hardwoods, although modern examples may use fibreglass or plastic.
A dancer normally wears one pair on each thumb and plays the shells with the fingers. Successive finger strokes create the characteristic rapid roll.
The two pairs are pitched differently. The higher-sounding hembra (“female”) is normally played in the right hand, while the lower-sounding macho (“male”) is played in the left.
In parts of Andalusia and in the Spanish dance world, castanets are called palillos, meaning “little sticks.” They commonly accompany regional Spanish dances such as sevillanas and fandangos, but are not used in every flamenco style.
Orchestral castanets may be mounted on handles or stands so that a percussionist can play them more conveniently.
In Act II of Georges Bizet's Carmen, the title character dances for Don José while playing castanets; she treats a distant military bugle as part of the accompaniment.
The claim that silent-film clappers used for galloping-horse effects gave rise to “go like the clappers” is doubtful. The phrase is recorded as 20th-century RAF slang and most probably refers to the rapidly moving clappers inside bells.
Sources: Encyclopaedia Britannica; Metropolitan Museum of Art; Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary; Grinnell College Musical Instrument Collection; Phrase Finder.; Hutchinson Encyclopedia © RM 2011. Helicon Publishing
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