Guiro
Etymology and Alternative Spellings
Brazilian: Reco-reco
Construction
The güiro is a notched, hollowed-out gourd.[1] Often, the calabash gourd is used.[2] The güiro is made by carving parallel circular stripes along the shorter section of the elongated gourd. Today, many güiros are made of wood or fiberglass.[3]
History
The güiro is a percussion instrument consisting of an open-ended, hollow gourd with parallel notches cut in one side. It is played by rubbing a stick or tines (see photo) along the notches to produce a zipper-like ratchet sound.
The güiro is commonly used in Cuban, Puerto Rican, and other forms of Latin American music, and plays a key role in the typical rhythm section of important genres like son, trova and salsa. Playing the güiro usually requires both long and short sounds, made by scraping up and down in long or short strokes.
Sticks, Mallets, Beaters
Technique
Grips
Stroke Style/Type
Manufacturers
Retailers
See Also
References
- ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=66VX3BFD-egC&pg=PA6
- ↑ The Mexican Revolution: A Brief History With Documents
- ↑ http://0-www.oxfordmusiconline.com.dewey2.library.denison.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/12008?q=guiro&search=quick&pos=1&_start=1#firsthit