Castanets

percussion · music · Spanish

What they are. Castanets are small wooden instruments that click and clack when you tap them together with your fingers. They come in pairs and are held in your hands while you play them.

Used everywhere. People play castanets in Spanish flamenco dancing, Greek music, Italian performances, Mexican celebrations, Brazilian rhythms, and many other cultures around the world. This instrument has traveled across continents and been loved by different people for centuries.

Ancient origins. Castanets aren't new - in ancient Greece and Rome, people played a similar instrument called the crotalum. Musicians have been making clicking sounds with handheld instruments for thousands of years.

Dance companion. Castanets are famous for their role in flamenco dancing, where dancers click them to keep the beat while spinning and stomping. The sound adds energy and excitement to the performance.

Pure sound. Castanets are idiophonic instruments, which means they make sound by vibrating themselves, not by striking something else or using strings. When the wooden pieces hit each other, they create their distinctive bright, crisp sound.