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Guiro
The Guiro is a scraper traditionally made from a dried hollowed out calabash
gourd with parallel notches cut into one side. The stem end is removed to
allow the sound to escape and two holes are usually drilled into one side
to be used as a grip for the thumb and index finger. Rubbing a wooden
stick along the notched ribs of the Guiro produces the distinctive scraping
‘zipper’ sound. Guiro’s come in many shapes, sizes and materials including
the metallic Guira used in the Dominican Republic to play merengues, or the
Venezuelan Charrasca.
Maracas
A pair of rattles traditionally made from calabash gourds attached to wooden
handles with the dry seeds still loose inside, the Maracas of today can be
made from lathe-turned wood, coconuts, wood, pottery, plastic or leather
and can be filled with dried seeds, pebbles, beads or dried beans. One
Maraca is often pitched higher than the other (usually by altering the amount
of fill) and are shaken alternatively, because the seeds must travel some
distance before they strike the gourd, the player cannot shake them on the
beat, but must anticipate. Plastic shelled maracas tend to have a brighter,
cutting sound, the more popular stitched leather models (resembling large
baseballs) have a deeper, softer sound.
Pandeiros
Pandeiros are Brazilian frame drum tambourines, larger than western
tambourines, they have a tunable skin and large jingles (which are inverted
towards each other) and are made of soft metals producing a more subdued
tone than a usual tambourine. Similar to the Bongos, the Pandeiro playing
technique uses the hand’s palm, fingertips and thumb.
Quinta
See ‘Congas’ above.
Reco Reco
The Reco Reco is a Brazilian rasp or scratcher, similar to the Guiro and is
played by rubbing a metal bar across a pair of springs. Reco Reco’s can also
be made from a variety of other materials such as metal, bamboo or gourds.
The Reco Reco takes the offbeat, countering the Ganza.
