Güiro

The Güiro [ gui: ʁo ] (also guiro, Spanish " gourd ", " ratchet cucumber " or " fish " ) is an approximately 30 to 40 cm long, hollow percussion instrument. The spread in some styles of music of Central America percussion instrument belongs to the group of Schrapidiophone.

Design and function

Originally it was made from a hollowed-out gourd. Today, it is usually made of wood, in a modern version also made ​​of fiberglass. A similar shape is made ​​of metal and is also called because of its shape " torpedo ".

The Güiro is played with a 12 to 15 cm long, tapered cut wooden stick, but also a spine of a porcupine, a metal comb or broom. The larger conical piece lies in the hand. For coloring the sound of the wooden stick from thick to thin end on the corrugated surface from top to bottom or vice versa is played rhythmically.

The Güiro is needed particularly in the Cuban music and beyond in the international pop music. He has also found feeding into the orchestra, and is used for example in Le Sacre du Printemps.

The Güira is the Güiro related instrument in the Dominican music, especially in the meringue, as great a role as the Güiro for the Cuban music. In contrast to Güiro it is made ​​of metal.

A Japanese style of Güiro in the form of a frog