An investigation into the directivity, spectra, and modes of a Tambourine

Abstract

As an instrument, the tambourine has been used by various cultures for thousands of years. However, despite this rich history, there remains little literature that investigates the acoustical properties of the tambourine itself and an even greater lack in research that moves beyond discussing the instrument’s membrane alone. As a tambourine’s membrane is only one part of a larger whole, this is problematic; in fact, the membrane is not usually considered the instrument’s main radiator as many tambourines completely lack a membrane and players often actively damp the membrane while playing. Therefore, in order to develop a more in-depth and foundational understanding of the tambourine’s physics, we will discuss the nature of the instrument’s directivity, analyze how its sound spectra varies across diverse playing styles, and present the various modes associated with its wooden frame and metal jingles. The modes have been estimated using finite element techniques.