Black Swamp Blog & News

If you’ve ever struggled with achieving a smooth, consistent tambourine finger roll, you’re not alone. It’s one of those deceptively simple techniques that can make or break your performance. But with the right approach, you can take your finger rolls from inconsistent to impressive.

For percussionists playing instruments with natural calf heads, learning how to protect and maintain your tambourine is as essential as practicing your rhythms. In this guide, we’ll break down how to preserve your sound in extreme conditions, when to choose synthetic heads over calf, and what to do when your instrument needs a refresh.

Shake rolls are just the beginning. If you're ready to take your tambourine playing to the next level, it’s time to dive into the world of hybrid strokes—a combination of shaking and striking that gives you unmatched control and musical expressivity. This post breaks down the approach step by step, so you can build coordination, refine your sound, and apply it musically.

When the tempo kicks up and the dynamics demand more than one hand can deliver, your tambourine technique needs to evolve. That’s where the knee/fist method comes in—used by top orchestral players to maintain clarity, articulation, and musical shape in high-energy passages. In this post, we’ll break down how to play tambourine using this method, guided by performer and educator Keith Aleo, and offer practical advice for applying it in your own playing.

In this lesson, professional percussionist and educator, Keith Aleo shares a deceptively simple but powerful method that unlocks fast, reliable playing with two hands—plus a bonus tip for achieving a soft, dry sound when needed.

The tambourine can be a bold, splashy instrument—but what happens when the music demands restraint? In this post, we explore a refined technique for achieving soft, articulate tambourine sounds, guided by the legendary Keith Aleo. Whether you’re prepping for orchestral excerpts or elevating your control in a chamber setting, this deep dive will help you think musically, not just mechanically.

The Special Sauce Tambourine Roll is perfect for quick transitions that would otherwise be awkward with traditional methods.

Discover how to transform your tambourine playing with a fusion of techniques from the Arabic riq, Brazilian pandeiro, and Southern Italian

One simple yet highly effective tool for improving finger rolls is tambourine wax.

Single row tambourines bring unique advantages to the percussionist’s toolkit.

Experimenting with different materials and approaches can make your practice sessions more dynamic, fun, and, most importantly, effective.

Josh Jones will be sharing tips for playing the tambourine, covering hand positioning to striking techniques and roll execution.

Norman Weinberg explores the art of selecting percussion instruments, emphasizing the importance of cultivating an ear for sound variety.

Learning how to change a tambourine head might seem like a daunting task, but this guide will show you how in simple easy to follow steps.

Keith Aleo demonstrates 3 types of strokes that can be played with one hand on the tambourine. These are often used for passages that are slower in tempo but can be used for a wide range of dynamics.

The Session Plus Tambourine effortlessly adapts to both classic and contemporary musical settings.

Dance #8 in Polovtsian Dances features some interesting tambourine techniques. We'll show you how to play them!

Black Swamp Artist, Paolo Cimmino, demonstrates how to play several tambourine techniques for Capriccio Espagnole by Rimsky Korsakov.

Our Leggiero tambourine model LGTC2 speaks clearly and softly, performing delicate musical passages with ease and confidence.

The SoundArt TC1 tambourine is Black Swamp Percussion’s most versatile, popular, and widely trusted model, offering a powerful range of soun