Ratchet (instrument)

Ratchet (instrument)

A ratchet, also called a noisemaker (or, when used in Judaism, a gragger or "ra'ashan"), is an orchestral musical instrument played by percussionists. Operating on the principle of the ratchet device, a gearwheel and a stiff board is mounted on a handle, which can be freely rotated. The handle is held and the whole mechanism is swung around, the momentum causing the board to click against the gearwheel, making a clicking and rattling noise. Alternatively, smaller ratchets are sometimes held still or mounted and the handle turned rapidly by the player.

One popular design consists of a thick wooden cog wheel attached to a handle and two wooden flanges which alternately hit the teeth of the cog when the handle is turned.

It is similar to a football rattle, which is sometimes used in its place when a particularly loud sound is needed. An example of its use is Richard Strauss's piece "Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks" and Arnold Schoenberg's "Gurre-Lieder".


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