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]
