A rattle is a percussion musical instrument. It consists of a hollow body filled with small uniform solid objects, like sand or nuts. Rhythmical shaking of this instrument produces repetitive, rather dry timbre noises. In some kinds of music, a rattle assumes the role of the metronome, as an alternative to the drum. Percussion instruments are played by being struck, shaken, rubbed or scraped. ... A musical instrument is a device that has been constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... In music, timbre is the quality of a musical note which distinguishes different types of musical instrument. ... A mechanical wind-up metronome in motion A metronome is a device that produces a strict rhythm. ... For other kinds of drums, see drum (disambiguation). ...

This instrument was used in the ancient world. Today it plays a role in Cha Cha Cha, tango and jazz. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000-5,500 years, with cuneiform possibly being the oldest form of writing. ... For the dance, see Cha-cha-cha (dance). ... Tango may have one of the following meanings. ... Jazz is a musical art form characterized by blue notes, syncopation, swing, call and response, polyrhythms, and improvisation. ...

A rattle is an idiophone. An idiophone is any musical instrument which creates sound primarily by way of the instrument itself vibrating, without the use of strings or membranes. ...

See also

• ganza
• hosho
• maraca
• ratchet (instrument).