At first, two pieces of ebony were tied to the thumb and middle finger respectively. Later, they were changed to be played in the center of the palm, or mounted on a wooden handle, or played with a two-handed hand. The castanets make a hard clicking sound, which is lively, crisp and distinctive.
Tutorial on making your own castanets toy, just prepare two wooden boards, two bottle caps and two plastic buckles.
How-to tutorial:
Use double-sided tape to stick the plastic buckle on one side of the board.
