Güiro

Name	Güiro
Names	Reco-reco
Image capt	A modern fibreglass güiro.
Background	percussion
Classification	Hand percussion: Played by scraping,made from wood, gourd, metal, plastic or fibreglass
Hornbostel sachs	112.23
Hornbostel sachs desc	Indirectly struck idiophone
Range	Speed of scrape produces some variation
Midi	Notes 73 (short scrape) and 74 (long scrape) (C# and D)
Related	Slit drum, shekere, washboard

The güiro () is a Dominican percussion instrument consisting of an open-ended, hollow gourd with parallel notches cut in one side. It is played by rubbing a wooden stick ("pua") along the notches to produce a ratchet-like sound. The güiro is commonly used in Latin-American music, and plays a key role in the typical cumbia rhythm section. The güiro is also known as calabazo, guayo, ralladera, or rascador. In Brazil it is commonly known as "reco-reco".

Construction

The güiro is made by carving parallel fluting on the surface of the shell of the gourd. It is played by holding the güiro in the left hand with the thumb inserted into the back sound hole to keep the instrument in place. The right hand usually holds the scraper and plays the instrument. The scraper is more properly called a "pua". Playing the güiro usually requires both long and short sounds, which are made by scraping both up and down in long or short strokes. The güiro, like the maracas, is usually played by a singer. The instrument's rasping sound adds counterpoint to folk music but is less often used in salsa bands.

Other meanings

Güiro is also another term for a shekere as well as the ensemble and rhythm used when playing this instrument. In Regla de Ocha, a güiro is a musical performance/ceremony that uses shequeres, hoe blade, and at least one conga to accompany the religious songs of the Orishas.

Gallery

See also

Gee-haw whammy diddle

Güira

References

Category:Latin percussion Category:Idiophones Category:Marching percussion Category:Orchestral percussion Category:Pitched percussion Category:Panamanian musical instruments