The tambourine is a handheld frame drum with metal jingles that can be shaken or struck.
Its frame is usually circular and may have a drumhead stretched across one side, although some tambourines are headless. The jingles, often called zils, add a bright metallic sound to the drum’s rhythm.
Tambourines appear in many musical traditions, including European folk music, Middle Eastern music, religious music, orchestral repertoire, and popular music. Players can shake the instrument, strike the head, tap the rim, or rub the head for different effects.
A tambourine differs from maracas, which are enclosed rattles, and from the triangle, which is a single bent metal bar. The tambourine combines a frame drum with a rattle-like jingle system.