Castanets play a very important role in Flamenco music and dance. Dancers play castanets by resting one pair in each hand with strings looped around the thumb, tapping them together with the fingertips. Rapidly striking the castanet with fingers in sequence produces their distinctive, rhythmic sound.

The tonality of the two castanets is usually different. The bass (low pitch) castanet pair, called “macho” or male, is played in the left hand and maintains the beat. The treble pair, called “hembra” or female, is higher pitched, played in the right hand and provides the more complex rhythms. To distinguish these two types of castanets, the female castanets are marked with a (II) sign on the upper part of the ear.

Valencia Professional Castanets are constructed from Teak to produce a rich, authentic sound for dancers and percussionists of all levels. They are available in a traditional handheld, single sound box configuration with V-shaped ears for greater player comfort, complete with draw-string carry bag.