Triccaballacca
Encyclopedia
The triccaballacca is a percussion instrument
used in Neapolitan folk music
and, generally speaking, in folk music throughout much of southern Italy
. Technically, it is a "clapper" and consists of three percussive mallets mounted on a base, the outer two of which are hinged at the base and are moved in to strike the central piece, which is fixed; a rhythmic sound is produced by the clicking of wood on wood and the simultaneous sound of the small metal disks—called "jingles"—mounted on the instrument. The instrument comes in different sizes, the most common of which is about a foot-and-a-half high, small enough to be cradled in the arms easily.
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
used in Neapolitan folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and, generally speaking, in folk music throughout much of southern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Technically, it is a "clapper" and consists of three percussive mallets mounted on a base, the outer two of which are hinged at the base and are moved in to strike the central piece, which is fixed; a rhythmic sound is produced by the clicking of wood on wood and the simultaneous sound of the small metal disks—called "jingles"—mounted on the instrument. The instrument comes in different sizes, the most common of which is about a foot-and-a-half high, small enough to be cradled in the arms easily.