What does castanets mean?
Definitions for castanets
cas·tanets
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word castanets.
Princeton's WordNet
bones, castanets, clappers, finger cymbalsnoun
a percussion instrument consisting of a pair of hollow pieces of wood or bone (usually held between the thumb and fingers) that are made to click together (as by Spanish dancers) in rhythm with the dance
Wiktionary
castanetsnoun
A percussion instrument (idiophone) consisting of a pair of concave shells joined on one edge by a string, held in the hand and used to produce clicking sounds.
Wikipedia
Castanets
Castanets, also known as clackers or palillos, are a percussion instrument (idiophone), used in Spanish, Kalo, Moorish, Ottoman, Italian, Sephardic, Swiss, and Portuguese music. In ancient Greece and ancient Rome there was a similar instrument called the crotalum. The instrument consists of a pair of concave shells joined on one edge by a string. They are held in the hand and used to produce clicks for rhythmic accents or a ripping or rattling sound consisting of a rapid series of clicks. They are traditionally made of hardwood (chestnut; Spanish: castaño), although fibreglass has become increasingly popular. In practice, a player usually uses two pairs of castanets. One pair is held in each hand, with the string hooked over the thumb and the castanets resting on the palm with the fingers bent over to support the other side. Each pair will make a sound of a slightly different pitch. The origins of the instrument are not known. The practice of clicking hand-held sticks together to accompany dancing is ancient, and was practiced by both the Greeks and the Egyptians. In more modern times, the bones and spoons used in Minstrel show and jug band music can also be considered forms of the castanet. During the baroque period, castanets were featured prominently in dances. Composers like Jean-Baptiste Lully scored them for the music of dances which included Spaniards (Ballet des Nations), Egyptians (Persée, Phaëton), Ethiopians (Persée, Phaëton), and Korybantes (Atys). In addition, they are often scored for dances involving less pleasant characters such as demons (Alceste) and nightmares (Atys). Their association with African dances is even stated in the ballet Flore (1669) by Lully, "… les Africains inventeurs des danses de Castagnettes entrent d'un air plus gai …" A rare occasion where the normally accompanying instrument is given concertant solo status is Leonardo Balada's Concertino for Castanets and Orchestra Three Anecdotes (1977). The "Conciertino für Kastagnetten und Orchester" by the German composer Helmut M. Timpelan, in cooperation with the castanet virtuoso, José de Udaeta, is another solo work for the instrument. See also the Toccata Festiva for castanets by Allan Stephenson. Sonia Amelio has also performed her castanet arrangements as a concert soloist. In the late Ottoman Empire, köçeks not only danced but played percussion instruments, especially a type of castanet known as the çarpare, which in later times were replaced by metal cymbals called zills.
ChatGPT
castanets
Castanets are a percussion instrument traditionally used in Spanish music, especially flamenco. They consist of two concave shells joined by a string and are played by being held in the hand and clicked together to produce a rhythm. They are often made of chestnut or other types of hardwood.
Webster Dictionary
Castanets
two small, concave shells of ivory or hard wood, shaped like spoons, fastened to the thumb, and beaten together with the middle finger; -- used by the Spaniards and Moors as an accompaniment to their dance and guitars
Etymology: [F. castagnettes, Sp. castaetas, fr. L. castanea (Sp. castaa) a chestnut. So named from the resemblance to two chestnuts, or because chestnuts were first used for castanets. See Chestnut.]
Usage in printed sourcesFrom:
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Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of castanets in Chaldean Numerology is: 2
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of castanets in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3
Popularity rank by frequency of use
Translations for castanets
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- castañuelasSpanish
- castanholasPortuguese
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"castanets." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 8 Oct. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/castanets>.
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