Zills are small cymbals which are worn on the fingers of belly dancers; they are known as zagat in Arabic. While dancing, the dancers strike their zills to accentuate the dance or to help establish a clear beat; zills are also used when dancers work the room for tips and complements, in situations where this is expected. Many dance supply stores carry a number of styles of zills, and they can also be purchased through companies which specialize in Middle Eastern musical instruments; because zills are sometimes used in Western music as well, some Western supplies may carry them too.
By tradition, zills are worn on the middle finger and thumb of both hands, creating two sets of cymbals. A skilled player can create a range of sounds with zills, including clear ringing tones, clacks, and clicks, creating a versatile array of sounds to supplement a dance with. Depending on the sound, zills may be small and dainty, producing a quiet but high-pitched ring, or they may be heavier and larger, producing deeper tones which will carry all the way to the back of the crowd.
Learning to play zills is rather challenging, and many dancers have trouble at first. Playing the cymbals on their own is relatively straightforward, but playing them while dancing can add a new element of difficulty. Most dancers say that learning the play zills simply requires lots of practice, and that dancers should get into the habit of always moving when they practice their zills, so that they do not get accustomed to the ease of sitting and playing.
Most zills are made from brass, and they are made in the same way they have been constructed for thousands of years. Examples of zills from before the birth of Christ are on display in many museums, and as paintings and other works of art attest, before zills, dancers used bones, sticks, clappers, and various other tools for percussion. The rhythmic beat of dance music lends itself well to playing the zills, especially when the dancer and musicians are well attuned to each other.
Many people associate the sound of zills with Middle Eastern music in general, not just belly dancing, and they are sometimes added to musical compositions to give them an Oriental theme. Another form of zills can be seen in castanets, the percussion instruments used in traditional Spanish dance. Flamenco is actually a descendant of the belly dancing tradition, a legacy of the Muslim conquest of Spain.