Arabian castanets or crotalos – Finger cymbals – Bronze

Musical tags, finger cymbals, finger cymbals, chimchines, finger timpani, zills or zaggat, are small typical bronze percussion instruments, which are tied by means of rubber bands, to the flea and heart finger, with which the dancers dance of the belly or similar to highlight its movements./ strong>

Crottles, Cymbals, Zills, Zils, finger castanets, finger cymbals (from Turkish zil, “cymbals”) are small metal cymbals used in belly dancing and similar performances.
They are called sājāt (صاجات) in Arabic. They are similar to Tibetan Tingsan bells. In western music, several pairs of Crottles can be set in a frame to make a tambourine.

A set of cymbals consists of four cymbals, two for each hand. Modern Crottals come in a variety of sizes, the most common having a diameter of approximately 5 cm. The different sizes and shapes of Crottles will produce sounds that differ in volume, pitch, and resonance. For example, a dancer performing with an orchestra will use a larger Crótalos with more volume, while a cabaret dancer will use finger castanets or finger cymbals, with a more delicate sound. American tribal dancers often wear a Crótalo a lot morelarge with a softer tone.

Finger cymbals can be played in various ways to produce ringtones or a harsh “clack” sound.

The crottals or finger castanets belong to the standard instruments used in Ottoman military bands and occasionally also appear as part of the western orchestra or other musical performances. In these cases, musicians often call them finger cymbals and use them to obtain a ringing sound with “Middle Eastern” associations. Percussionists who play cymbals with their fingers sometimes use a less complicated technique than the traditional one used by belly dancers or similar. The musician holds a cymbal in each hand by grasping the strap between thumb and index finger, and plays them by tapping the tires. They use this technique for occasional flourishes in music rather than complex rhythms and sounds. For more intricate rhythms, an orchestral player can attach a cymbal to both his thumb and index finger. Then placing that hand between their other hand and the knee, the player will alternate between hitting the knee and the opposite hand. Each movement produces an articulation of the cymbals.
There are many rhythms in belly dance music that can be spelled out on the cfinger mbalos.

Measurements:

4.5 cm Diameter