Tamburo

As Printed on a Score

Tamburo alone is generic — a drum — and is usually qualified on the page: tamburo militare or tamburo piccolo (snare drum), tamburo rullante (tenor drum), tamburo basco (tambourine). The abbreviation Tamb. is shared with tamburino and tamburello (tambourine), so check the full label on the first system before reading a Tamb. staff.

Abbreviations: Tamb., Tamb

Also spelled: Tamburi

How Composers Use It

Because the word alone does not identify the instrument, name the drum you mean — snare drum, tenor drum, tambourine or a particular hand drum — and for a snare drum say whether the snares are on or off (con corde, senza corde). Drums give rhythm and articulation rather than pitch: a snare-drum roll carries over a full orchestra, while a drum without snares sounds darker and more muffled.

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