Riq and Tambourine: There similarities and differences

For a beginner, riq and tambourine may seem to be similar but a professional music lover knows that these two musical instruments have their own individual differences. Though the two musical instruments, i.e. riq and tambourine, are played in a similar style and sounds quite similar but they have subtle differences that make them different and unique in themselves. If you are a music lover, it is needed that you should know about the instrument well.

Riq, the traditional musical instrument of Arab that is also known as riqq or rik, was previously made of wooden frame, jingles and thin translucent heads made of fish skin. But in modern days riq is made of metal that is covered on both sides. The cover of the riq is done in good ivory and wood decoration that has small cymbals attached to it. The cymbals used in a riq are about 4cm in diameter and ten pairs in number that is again mounted in slits. It can be said that riq is a type of tambourine that is rapidly gaining popularity among both beginners and professional music lovers.

While playing a riq, the player alternates between shaking the jingles attached to the instrument and striking the membrane that produces a warm blend of jingling and thudding sound.

On the other hand tambourine is a musical instrument that has a single string attached to small jingles that has no drum heads. Widely used in music of western countries, tambourine can be played in a variety of ways such as striking it, shaking it and stroking it. Accepted in various parts of the world as a popular instrument of music, tambourine is found in all forms of music such as classic music, Persian music, gospel music, pop music, Roman music and rock music to name a few.