The instruments
The instruments of the tarantella sorrentina, the traditional folk dance of Sorrento, are colourful, made of wood and come from far away: the tamburello (tambourine) is Italian, the nacchere (castanets) Spanish, the triccheballacche Neapolitan. Ours are made and personalised by craftsmen in Sorrento using the old techniques.
One by one
We play them during the show, and at the end we hand them over to the guests.
Tamburello (tammurriello)
The Italian tambourine: a percussion instrument of the membranophone family, found all over the Mediterranean and Southern Italy. A skin is stretched over a wooden frame, and the slots in the frame hold small jingles that enrich the sound with every beat.
Nacchere
Castanets of Spanish origin: two pieces of wood with holes at the top, joined by a ribbon tied around the middle fingers. They are played by the men, who strike the two halves against the palm to mark the rhythm of the dance.
Triccheballacche
A Neapolitan wooden clapper: three small wooden hammers held together by a base, with little tin cymbals fixed to the outer bars. It is played by knocking the moving bars against the fixed central one. Decorated with coloured ribbons, it is typical of the Piedigrotta festival.
Tammorra
A large frame drum, similar to the tamburello but bigger and deeper in sound: goat or sheep skin stretched over a wooden frame, often the one used for flour sieves, with pairs of small tin discs. It measures from 35 to 65 centimetres across.
Putipù
A friction drum: a sound box (a clay pot or a tin or wooden cylinder) covered with a skin with a bamboo cane in the middle. Rubbing the cane with a damp hand produces its distinctive rumble.
Scetavajasse
The "poor man's violin": two wooden sticks, one smooth and one notched, with little tin cymbals at the top. It is played by rubbing the notched stick across the smooth one, like a bow.
Mandolin
A string instrument like a small mandola, symbol of Neapolitan music around the world. It accompanies the tarantella together with guitar and violin.
How to play them
Fancy giving it a try? On our blog we explain how to play the tamburello, nacchere and triccheballacche, with the basic rhythms of the tarantella.
Bring the tarantellato your celebration
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