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The güiro is a percussion instrument
Percussion instrument

A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound by being hit with an implement, shaken, rubbed, scraped, or by any other action which sets the object into vibration....
 consisting of an open-ended, hollow gourd
Gourd

A gourd is a plant of the family Cucurbitaceae, or a name given to the hollow, dried shell of a fruit in the Cucurbitaceae family of plants of the genus Lagenaria....
 with parallel notches cut in one side. It is played by rubbing a wooden stick along the notches to produce a ratchet
Ratchet

A ratchet may refer to:* Ratchet , a mechanical device for controlling rotational motion* Socket wrench, a tool that makes use of the above mechanical device...
-like sound. The güiro is commonly used in Latin-American music
Latin American music

Latin American music refers to the music of all countries in Latin America and comes in many varieties. Latin America is home to musical styles such as the simple, rural conjunto music of northern Mexico, the sophisticated habanera of Cuba, the rhythmic sounds of the Music of Puerto Rico plena, the symphonies of Heitor Villa-Lobos, and the...
, and plays a key role in the typical cumbia
Cumbia

Cumbia is a Colombian musical style and folk dance that is considered to be representative of Colombia, along with Vallenato. Cumbia originated from the Caribbean coast of Colombia, with closely related variants existing today in Panama....
 rhythm section. Güiro is also another term for a shekere
Shekere

The shekere is a percussion instrument from Africa, consisting of a dried gourd with beads woven into a net covering the gourd. Throughout the continent it is called different things, such as the lilolo, axatse , and chequere....
 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 Orisha
Orisha

An Orisha is a spirit or deity that reflects one of the manifestations of Olodumare in the Yoruba mythology spiritual or religion . This religion has found its way throughout the world and is now expressed in several varieties which include Anago, Adefunmi, Candombl?, Lucum?, and the Orisa religion of Trinidad, as well as some aspects o...
s.

The güiro is believed to have originated with the Taino
Taíno

The Ta?nos were Indigenous peoples of the Americas of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. It is believed that the seafaring Ta?nos were relatives of the Arawakan people of South America....
 people.






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Encyclopedia


The güiro is a percussion instrument
Percussion instrument

A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound by being hit with an implement, shaken, rubbed, scraped, or by any other action which sets the object into vibration....
 consisting of an open-ended, hollow gourd
Gourd

A gourd is a plant of the family Cucurbitaceae, or a name given to the hollow, dried shell of a fruit in the Cucurbitaceae family of plants of the genus Lagenaria....
 with parallel notches cut in one side. It is played by rubbing a wooden stick along the notches to produce a ratchet
Ratchet

A ratchet may refer to:* Ratchet , a mechanical device for controlling rotational motion* Socket wrench, a tool that makes use of the above mechanical device...
-like sound. The güiro is commonly used in Latin-American music
Latin American music

Latin American music refers to the music of all countries in Latin America and comes in many varieties. Latin America is home to musical styles such as the simple, rural conjunto music of northern Mexico, the sophisticated habanera of Cuba, the rhythmic sounds of the Music of Puerto Rico plena, the symphonies of Heitor Villa-Lobos, and the...
, and plays a key role in the typical cumbia
Cumbia

Cumbia is a Colombian musical style and folk dance that is considered to be representative of Colombia, along with Vallenato. Cumbia originated from the Caribbean coast of Colombia, with closely related variants existing today in Panama....
 rhythm section. Güiro is also another term for a shekere
Shekere

The shekere is a percussion instrument from Africa, consisting of a dried gourd with beads woven into a net covering the gourd. Throughout the continent it is called different things, such as the lilolo, axatse , and chequere....
 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 Orisha
Orisha

An Orisha is a spirit or deity that reflects one of the manifestations of Olodumare in the Yoruba mythology spiritual or religion . This religion has found its way throughout the world and is now expressed in several varieties which include Anago, Adefunmi, Candombl?, Lucum?, and the Orisa religion of Trinidad, as well as some aspects o...
s.

Guiro Cubano
The güiro is believed to have originated with the Taino
Taíno

The Ta?nos were Indigenous peoples of the Americas of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. It is believed that the seafaring Ta?nos were relatives of the Arawakan people of South America....
 people. The güiro is a notched, hollowed-out gourd, which was adapted from a pre-Columbian instrument. Others maintain that similar instruments were also used in other parts of Central and South America, and brought to Puerto Rico by the Arawak
Arawak

The term Arawak , was used to designate some of the peoples encountered by the Spain in the West Indies in 1492 and thereafter. These include the Ta?no, who occupied the Greater Antilles and the Bahamas and Bimini Florida, the Nepoya and Suppoyo of Trinidad and the Igneri, who were supposed to have preceded the Caribs in the Lesser Anti...
 Indians.
Frogshapedguiro
The güiro is made by carving the shell of the gourd
Gourd

A gourd is a plant of the family Cucurbitaceae, or a name given to the hollow, dried shell of a fruit in the Cucurbitaceae family of plants of the genus Lagenaria....
 and carving parallel fluting on its surface. 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 maraca
Maraca

Maracas is a native instrument of Puerto Rico. They are simple percussion instruments , usually played in pairs, consisting of a dried calabash or gourd shell or coconut shell filled with seeds or dried beans....
s, is usually played by a singer. The instrument's rasping sound adds counterpoint to folk music but is less often used in salsa
Salsa music

Salsa music is a diverse and predominantly Latin American Caribbean music genre that is popular across Latin America and among Latinos abroad that was brought to international fame by Puerto Rican people....
 bands.

The earliest known reference to the güiro is in the writings of Fray Íñigo Abbad y Lasierra
Fray Iñigo Abbad y Lasierra

Fray ??igo Abbad y Lasierra , born in Estadilla, Spain, was a Benedictine monk and the first historian to extensively document History of Puerto Rico, nationality and Culture of Puerto Rico....
 in 1788. He described the güiro as one of several instruments that were used to accompany dancers. The other instruments would typically include maracas, tambourine
Tambourine

The tambourine or Marine is a musical instrument of the Percussion instrument family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils"....
 and one or more guitar
Guitar

The guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six Strings , but Tenor guitar, Seven-string guitar, Eight-string guitar, Ten-string guitar, Eleven-string guitar, Twelve-string guitar, Thirteen-string guitar and doubleneck guitar string guitars also exist....
s.

The güiro is known as Calabazo, Guayo, Ralladera, Rascador, and is considered a percussion instrument.

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See also

  • Gee-haw whammy diddle
    Gee-haw whammy diddle

    A gee-haw whammy diddle is mechanical toy consisting of two wooden sticks. One has a series of notches cut transversely along its side and a smaller wooden stick or a propeller attached to the end with a nail or pin....