''Tingsha'', or ''ting-sha'' (), are small

cymbal A cymbal is a common percussion instrument. Often used in pairs, cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys. The majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sou ...

s used in prayer and rituals by Tibetan

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

practitioners. Two cymbals are joined together by a leather strap or chain. The cymbals are struck together producing a clear and high pitched tone. Typical sizes range from 2.5–4 inches in diameter. ''Tingsha'' are very thick and produce a unique long ringing tone. Antique ''tingsha'' were made from special

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloid ...

alloy An alloy is a mixture of chemical elements of which in most cases at least one is a metal, metallic element, although it is also sometimes used for mixtures of elements; herein only metallic alloys are described. Metallic alloys often have prop ...

s that produce harmonic overtones. In high quality ''tingsha'', both cymbals will match—the tones are identical or nearly identical. Most tingsha, however, are not perfectly matched so each produces a distinctly different tone. This is due to modern manufacturing processes in which many ''tingsha'' are produced at the same time and then poorly matched. Fine quality examples of antiques or the rare pair of carefully matched new ''tingsha'' will sound identical. Antique ''tingsha'' are rare and quite expensive. Sometimes two cymbals that do not match are paired together. Single cymbals are often sold with a bone or piece of wood attached, so the instrument is still functional even though the mating cymbal has been lost. ''Tingsha'' are unique in form and function and distinctly different from Indian, Nepali, Chinese, Turkish or other cymbals. Today, ''tingsha'' are used along with

singing bowls Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define singi ...

and other instruments in meditation, music and sound healing. Artists such as Karma Moffett and Perteson Meneses, Joseph Feinstein use multiple pairs of antique ''tingsha'' together to create a sonic tapestry effect. Traditionally, however, ''tingsha'' are used as part of specific Tibetan rituals, such as offerings to "

hungry ghost Hungry ghost is a term in Buddhism and Chinese traditional religion, representing beings who are driven by intense emotional needs in an animalistic way. The term zh, c= 餓鬼, p=èguǐ, l=hungry ghost is the Chinese translation of the Sansk ...

s". While they are commonly found today in musical recordings and yoga classes, their real function is as a religious ritual tool.

References

Bibliography

* Buddhist ritual implements Cymbals Tibetan musical instruments {{Tibetan-Buddhism-stub