Chap (instrument)
Appearance
A chap or chhap (Thai: ฉาบ, Khmer: ឆាប) is a percussion instrument. It is made from bronze, as is a ching, but is thinner.[1] The chap consists of two thin, round disks or plates with a bulge in the center.[1] The plates are held against the hands like cymbals, using handles made of string, passing through a hole in the center of each plate.[1] The name comes from the sound the instrument makes when struck directly together, "chap, chap."[1] The "timbre or tone" change when struck at an angle.[1]
There are two kinds of chap: chap lek and chap yai. A chap lek's diameter is 12–14 cm. A chap yai's diameter is 24–26 cm. The Cambodian names for the two kinds of chap are chap thom (large chap) and chap toch (small chap).[1]