Four Ways to Play Four Sea Interludes on Tambourine
- Nathan Coles
- Nov 7, 2025
- 5 min read
Join Black Swamp Artist Paolo Cimmino as he explores four distinct methods for playing the "Storm" excerpt, moving from technical execution to artistic interpretation.
When you look at a famous orchestral excerpt, do you see just a set of rhythms, or do you see a menu of musical possibilities? The tambourine part in Benjamin Britten's "Storm" from the Four Sea Interludes is a perfect example. It's short, it's soft, but it’s packed with character. Many players learn one way to play it, but a professional thinks about why they choose a specific technique. Today, we're going to explore four different ways to approach this passage, guided by the incredible insights of percussionist Paolo Cimmino.
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Meet Your Instructor: Paolo Cimmino
Born in Naples, Black Swamp Artist Paolo Cimmino is a passionate percussion educator and performer. After graduating in 1988, he spent twelve years as a member of the prestigious San Carlo Theatre Orchestra of Naples while simultaneously studying ethnic music and jazz. Today, Paolo teaches percussion at the G. Martucci Conservatoire in Salerno and gives masterclasses at renowned institutions across Europe, including the Royal College of Music in London and the Franz Liszt Hochschule fur Musik in Weimar. As a co-founder of the “Società Italiana Tamburi a Cornice,” he is a leading authority on frame drums and has published numerous acclaimed educational books and DVDs.
The Excerpt: Britten's "Storm" from Four Sea Interludes
Before we dive into the "how," let's understand the "what." The "Four Sea Interludes" are powerful orchestral pieces from Benjamin Britten's opera Peter Grimes. They paint a vivid picture of the sea and the story's psychological drama.
The four movements are "Dawn," "Sunday Morning," "Moonlight," and "Storm."
Our focus is on a specific passage in the fourth movement, "Storm," found between rehearsal marks 10 and 11. In this moment, the tambourine isn't a crashing thunderclap; it's a soft, rumbling accompaniment to the flutes and clarinets, adding color and tension to the tempest. The challenge isn't volume, but control and color.
Four Artistic Choices for Four Sea Interludes on Tambourine
Paolo demonstrates that there is no single "correct" way. The best choice depends on the sound you, your conductor, and your section want to create. Let's explore the four options.
Option 1: The Traditional "Up Position"
How it works: This is the method most of us learn first. You hold the tambourine in your non-dominant hand (e.g., left hand) in a standard "up" position. Your dominant hand (right hand) plays all the rhythms, executing both the finger/thumb rolls and the articulated strokes.
Musical Character: This position gives the most "open" and resonant sound, as the head is free to vibrate.
The Challenge: The main difficulty, as Paolo notes, is achieving a perfect balance between the rhythmic strokes and the roll. You need to make the articulated notes clear without them "popping" out too much from the sustained roll. Using the edge of the shell for the rolls can help maintain a delicate sound.
Check out Black Swamp's, Eric Peterson, performing with this same technique using two models of Leggiero tambourines.
Option 2: The Dampened "On-the-Leg"
How it works: For this, you'll want a stool or chair to raise your knee to a roughly 90-degree angle. The tambourine rests on your knee, which dampens the head. Your non-dominant (left) hand rests its palm in the center of the head to "dry" the sound even more, using its fingers to tap the rhythmic strokes. Your dominant (right) hand is then free to only play the rolls, usually on the shell's edge.
Musical Character: This technique produces a very dry, articulate, and controlled sound. The resonance is minimized, making the jingles the primary sound source.
The Challenge: This setup splits the work between the hands, which can simplify the rhythms. The main challenge is musical: is this dry, "pointy" sound appropriate for the texture Britten has written?
Option 3: The "Hybrid Stroke"
How it works: This advanced technique, also performed in the "up position," uses gravity and motion. The dominant (right) hand plays the roll. The non-dominant (left) hand, which is holding the tambourine, performs the articulated notes by using quick "up" and "down" motions. The roll ends with an upward stroke (for the tied eighth note) followed immediately by a downward stroke (for the quarter note). This creates a continuous loop.
Musical Character: This method creates a very smooth, connected sound, as the strokes are generated by the jingles hitting the shell through motion rather than a direct finger impact. It's fantastic for integrating the rolls and rhythms seamlessly.
The Challenge: This is all about coordination. It takes practice to time the up/down motions precisely with the rhythm while your other hand is rolling. (We have another great lesson on this concept from Andrea Venet you can check out.)
Pro Tip: Use the tambourine pin holes to measure your roll length!
Option 4: The "Cradle" Position
How it works: Here, you hold the tambourine from underneath. Your non-dominant (left) hand is splayed open, supporting the head from below. This grip provides stability and dampens the head, creating what Paolo calls the "color of the stormy sea." Your dominant (right) hand is then free to play all the parts—rolls and strokes—on the edge.
Musical Character: This is a fantastic middle ground. It's more damped than the "Up Position" but more resonant than the "On-the-Leg" method. It offers control, stability, and a dark, rich color.
The Challenge: You must ensure your supporting hand is relaxed enough to not completely mute the head, just color it. Your playing hand has to do all the work, similar to Option 1, but on a different playing surface. The late, great Christopher Deane was a master of this technique.
Student Action Plan
Ready to apply these concepts? Don't just read—play!
Isolate the Sound: Before you even look at the music, try all four techniques. Just play a simple finger roll and a few single taps with each method. What do you hear? Which one feels most comfortable?
Apply to the Excerpt (Slowly): Take the "Storm" excerpt and practice it with all four techniques at a slow tempo. Your goal isn't speed; it's consistency of sound. Can you make the "Up Position" sound as controlled as the "Cradle"? Can you make the "On-the-Leg" sound as fluid as the "Hybrid"?
Record and Listen: Use your phone to record yourself playing the excerpt with each of the four methods. When you listen back, you'll be amazed at the differences. Which one sounds the most like a "stormy sea" to you?
Make an "Educated" Choice: The next time you're in rehearsal, don't just play. Listen. Listen to the flutes and clarinets. Does the texture call for a dry, articulate sound (On-the-Leg) or a dark, blended wash (Cradle/Hybrid)? Now you can make a musical decision, not just a technical one.
Final Thoughts: Beyond the Technique
The goal of exploring these options for Four Sea Interludes on Tambourine isn't to prove one is "best." The goal is to build your musical toolkit. A professional percussionist has multiple solutions for every problem. By understanding how a simple change in grip or position can completely alter the color and character of your sound, you move from being a student player to being a student musician.