Tamburello & Tammorra

Tamburello and tammorra are tambourines played in southern Italy. A variety of techniques exist that involve triple and double strokes with one hand motion. Pictured on top is a large tammorra made by Cooperman Drums, which features a renaissance synthetic head that allows for pitch bending, removable jingle pins, quality jingles, and a tunable frame. The shell is 16" by 4" deep.

Pictured in the middle is a traditional tamburello with a 14" head and a 3" deep shell with 9 pair of jingles.

A variety of playing styles for tamburello exist in the different regions of southern Itlay including those found in Lazio, Campania (Salerno & Naples), Puglia, Abruzzo, Molise, Calabria, Marche Basilicata, and Sicily.

Pictured below is a larger southern Italian tambourine called tammorra (17" head by 5" deep shell with 5 pair of jingles) that features a deeper shell and is used for playing duple rhythms in the traditional folk music dance known as tammorriata (or tammuriata), which is found in Campania.

Terminology can be confusing for non-Italians. Different terms and spellings are often based on regional practices and the size of a particular drum.