Sistrum

The sistrum is a member of the shaken and scraped idiophones (Hornbostel–Sachs 112.112). It originates from Ancient Egypt. Learn how it makes its sound and explore related instruments.

How the sistrum makes its sound

In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the sistrum belongs to the shaken and scraped idiophones: the body is shaken, scraped or split – rattles, maracas and guiros.

More broadly it is one of the idiophones, where the solid body of the instrument itself vibrates, without strings or a stretched membrane.

Press play above and watch the spectrum: the evenly spaced peaks are harmonics, and their relative strength is what gives the instrument its character.

From Wikipedia

A sistrum (plural: sistra; from Latin sistrum, from Greek σεῖστρον seistron of the same meaning; literally "that which is being shaken", from σείειν seiein, "to shake") is a musical instrument of the percussion family, a form of rattle, used most notably by the ancient Egyptians. It consists of a handle and a U-shaped metal frame, made of brass or bronze and ranging from 30 to 76 cm (12–30 in) in width. The frame supports sliding metal cross-bars, which may hold metal rings. When shaken, the small rings or loops of thin metal on its movable crossbars produce a sound that can vary from a soft clank to a loud jangling. Its name in the ancient Egyptian language was sekhem (sḫm) or sesheshet (sššt) because of the sound it made when it rattled. The ancient Egyptian sistrum had important associations with religious and ritualistic practices concerning various musical and joyful deities.