The Orchestra / Instruments / Percussion / Unpitched Metal

Orchestral clash cymbals have leather straps through their middles to be held by. They usually measure between 14 and 30 inches in diameter.

Technique - There are a variety of techniques for playing Clash Cymbals, including quiet clashes and swishes.

A smooth swish is made by rubbing the rims together.

A rough swish can be made by rubbing one rim against the other rough, grained inside of the cymbal.

The cymbals are either left ringing, or damped on the players chest.

Sleigh Bells are a collection of pellet bells attached to a leather handle or stick.

Technique - They can be shaken, or hit on their handle, with the other hand, to achieve a more rhythmic and defined sound. But remember - they are difficult to pick up and put down quietly!

A Bell Tree is a a collection of small bells suspended concentrically around a pole.

Teqchnique: The standard technique for placing the Bell Tree is a two-handed glissando. Individual notes can be sounded, though these are unpredictable in pitch.
Beaters: Any hard beaters

Tam-tams (which are unpitched gongs) originate from China and come in a range of sizes, from 15cm to 1m in diameter. The disk's outer rim is turned down to prevent the edge from vibrating, increasing to the mysteriousness of the sound.

Beaters: Tam-tam beaters are usually quite heavy - usually wood covered in soft materials such as wool. Tam-tams may also be bowed and scraped carefully with metal objects. Xylophone or wooden bass drum beaters should never be used on a tam-tam.

Technique: The standard tam-tam hit has a 'blossom' on the sound, depending on the size of the instrument, the beater used and the strength of the hit. Non-standard techniques include rubbing and bowing the instrument.
The best place to strike a tam-tam is just off-centre, but you can strike it in the centre which almost produces a "pitch", or right on the edge which gives a very harsh sound.

The triangle is a single rod, bent into a triangular shape. It is open at one corner. Triangles come in a variety of sizes, up to about 6" or 8".

Beaters: You can get a mixture of sizes and weights, which therefore change the sound produced.
Technique: The triangle can be struck, rolled and damped. Using different parts of the triangle can produce different sounds, which can be discovered by trial and error.