Rattle (percussion instrument)

A rattle is a type of percussion instrument which produces a sound when shaken.

[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: Though there are many different sorts of rattles, some music scores indicate simply a rattle (or the corresponding terms French claquette, hochet; Ger.

[3] In Ancient Egypt, rattles were used during funerary rituals to signify regeneration in the after-life.

During the Predynastic and Old Kingdom periods rattles gained handles and different shapes and were made out of different materials such as basket, wood, and stone.

Rattle from Papua New Guinea, made from leaves, seeds and coconut shell, to be tied around a dancer's ankle
Maracas from Mexico
Rattles from Pompeii.
Raven Rattle, 19th century, Brooklyn Museum