Our castanets each consist of 2 pairs. Each castanet is similar to a shell, so both halves together are called a shell – ‘concha’ and each half a leaf – ‘hoja’. At the top of the so-called ears we have 2 holes through which our cords are pulled. This way you can attach them to your thumb or middle finger, depending on your playing technique. Instructions for making a knot can be found in the block Castanet Knot.
And here are the names of the different parts of the castanets:
As already mentioned, each castanet consists of two halves, the leaves – ‘hojas‘, which together look a bit like a shell – ‘concha‘. At the top of the curve is the bridge – ‘puente‘ which forms the transition to the ears – ‘orejas‘.
The ears – ‘orejas’ each have a hole through which you pull the cord. This cord is tied with a special knot, see above.
Below the bridge – ‘puente’ – you find a triangle, a peak – ‘pico’ – on most castanets. This ‘pico’ plays no role in the sound; it is simply a decoration.
On the outside at the lower end of the ‘hojas’ is the belly – ‘barriga’. This is where the two castanets should meet for most of the ‘posticeos’ or ‘choc’. The best sound is achieved by holding the castanets slightly apart and striking them diagonally with a small swing of the thumbs to produce the ‘posticeo’.
However, there are also a large number of different ‘posticeos’, some of which are played using other techniques.
On the inside of the two ‘hojas’ there is a hollow, the heart – ‘corazón’. The ‘corazón’ is surrounded by the lip –‘labio’. There must be a gap between the two ‘labios’, both ‘hojas’ only lie on top of each other at the bottom in the middle at the point – ‘punto’. There must be a split between the two ‘labios’, with both ‘hojas’ only touching at the bottom in the middle at the ‘punto’. In addition to the wood used and the sophisticated design of the castanet leaves, the ‘hojas’, the shape and width of the split and the exact position of this ‘punto’ are decisive for the quality of the castanet’s sound.
Castanets come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, as well as being made from very different materials. The most common is wood, synthetic materials on a base of textile called ‘tela’ or of a fibre fabric, usually glass fibre, called ‘fibra’.
For concert castanets, castanets made of different types of wood are particularly suitable. In the past, the grenadilla wood ‘Granadillo’, a tree of the dry forests and savannahs of Central and East Africa, was particularly popular. In the meantime, this tree is protected and may no longer be imported. Other types of wood are beech, oak, ebony, boxwood, rosewood …..
But there are also very good castanets made of different synthetic materials:
‘Tela’ (a synthetic material on a base of tissue) has a warm tone, sound colour are much harder to work out, but this material is not as sensitive to weathering as the natural material wood.
‘Fibra’ (made of a fibre material) has a clear, loud tone, and is also less sensitive to temperature fluctuations and varying humidity. Sound colours can hardly be achieved with these castanets.
Castanets are made by specialized instrument makers, a craft industry. Sometimes these highly skilled crafts have existed in one family for several generations, such as Castañuelas del Sur in Seville. But more about that in a later blog.
