Orthodox monk playing the semantron at a monastery in Romania. The semantron is one of the oldest sound-making instruments still in ritual use, usually taking the form of a simple board of maple or beech (and sometimes metal) hung from the ceiling, although versions that can be played walking exist as well. Long before bells dominated sacred soundscapes, the semantron set the rhythm of monastic life across the Orthodox Christian world. It's played by striking the surface with handheld mallets, p