Rattle (percussion instrument)

A rattle is a type of percussion instrument which produces a sound when shaken. Rattles are described in the Hornbostel–Sachs system as Shaken Idiophones or Rattles (112.1).^[1]

According to Sachs,^[2]

SHAKEN IDIOPHONES are rattles (not to be confused with clappers). The material is important, but more important is the arrangement of the sounding parts that strike together when the implement is shaken.

Rattles include:

Maracas, widely used in Cha Cha Cha and jazz.
- Chac-chac, as known in Trinidad, Dominica and the French Antilles.
The egg-shaped plastic chicken shake, filled with steel shot and available in varying tones depending on the size and quantity of shot.
Folk instruments especially used in ceremonial dance.
Toy rattles for infants.

Though there are many different sorts of rattles, some music scores indicate simply a rattle (or the corresponding terms French claquette, hochet; Ger. Rassel, Schnarre; It. nacchere).^[3]

^ Erich M. von Hornbostel and Curt Sachs, "Classification of Musical Instruments," Translated from the original German by Anthony Baines and Klaus P. Wachsmann, The Galpin Society Journal XIV (1961), 15-16, https://www.jstor.org/stable/842168.
^ Sachs, Curt (1940). The History of Musical Instruments, p.456. W. W. Nortan & Company, Inc. ISBN 0-393-02068-1
^ Blades, James & Schechter, John M. (2001). "Rattle". In Sadie, Stanley & Tyrrell, John (eds.). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (2nd ed.). London: Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 978-1-56159-239-5.‎

[1] Erich M. von Hornbostel and Curt Sachs, "Classification of Musical Instruments," Translated from the original German by Anthony Baines and Klaus P. Wachsmann, The Galpin Society Journal XIV (1961), 15-16, https://www.jstor.org/stable/842168.

[2] Sachs, Curt (1940). The History of Musical Instruments, p.456. W. W. Nortan & Company, Inc. ISBN 0-393-02068-1

[3] Blades, James & Schechter, John M. (2001). "Rattle". In Sadie, Stanley & Tyrrell, John (eds.). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (2nd ed.). London: Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 978-1-56159-239-5.‎

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