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Product Specifications
Instrument type: Sistrum, a shaken idiophone in the tambourine family
Handle: Albizia timber, tapered, with a rattan-wrapped grip
Jingles: Stainless steel zills on a metal rod
Best for: Drum circles, classroom and school music, beginners, rhythmic accents
Origin: Indonesia
Care: Wipe the zills with a dry cloth and keep the timber and rattan away from damp
Dimensions: 27cm length x 12cm width
Weight: 0.2 kg
Shipping & Returns
We dispatch most orders on the same day and ship across Australia and worldwide. Metro deliveries in Australia usually arrive within 2–5 business days, and express options are available at checkout; regional and international timeframes depend on the destination. You’ll receive tracking details when your parcel is on its way.
Need to return your order? Let us know within seven days of delivery. Please keep the item unused and in its original condition. Full details are in our Shipping & Returns policy.
Reviews
FAQs
What is a sistrum?
A sistrum is a shaken percussion instrument made of loose metal jingles mounted on a handle.
It traces back to ancient Egypt, where it came before the tambourine, and versions are still played across Africa and in Coptic and Ethiopian music today.
This sistrum uses stainless steel zills on an albizia handle, so it carries that same bright, ringing voice in a form anyone can pick up and play.
How do you play a sistrum jingle stick?
Playing the sistrum jingle stick takes seconds to learn.
Hold it by the rattan-wrapped handle and shake from the wrist: a steady shake gives a continuous shimmer, and short bursts mark the rhythm.
Changing the speed and angle of your shake shifts the tone and volume, so the same instrument can sit quietly under a rhythm or ring out over a full circle. There’s no technique to master first, which is why new players and children take to it straight away.
Is the sistrum jingle stick good for kids and classrooms?
Kids take to the sistrum jingle stick straight away. It’s light, simple to hold, and makes a satisfying sound on the first shake, so younger players get an immediate result with no setup or skill needed. The bright tone carries through a group, which helps in school music sessions and drumming workshops where everyone plays at once.
How is a sistrum different from a shaker?
A sistrum sounds brighter and more metallic than a seed shaker. The difference is in how the sound is made: a shaker like the Shekere or Aslatua rattles with seeds or beads inside a gourd or pod for a soft, dry texture, while a sistrum rings with loose metal zills, closer to the jingle of a tambourine or a bell.
Both are shaken and both hold a rhythm, so a sistrum is a good way to add a brighter, cutting voice to a setup that already has seed shakers in it.
