Skip to content
EntityQ2237198· pop 27· linked from 372 articles

Also known as Elías del cariul, guiro, calabazo, guayo, ralladera, rascador

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.

Key facts

Instrument.name
Güiro
Instrument.names
Güira, rascador, güícharo (Puerto Rican, made from plastic), candungo, carracho, rayo
Instrument.image
Phoenix-Musical Instrument Museum-Puerto Rican Güiro.jpg
Instrument.image_capt
Puerto Rican güiro on display in the Musical Instrument Museum of Phoenix
Instrument.background
percussion
Instrument.classification
Idiophone, can be made from wood, gourd, metal, plastic or fiberglass
Instrument.hornbostel_sachs
112.23
Instrument.hornbostel_sachs_desc
Scraped idiophone, vessel
Instrument.range
Speed of scrape produces some variation
Instrument.related
Güira, guayo, guacharaca, reco-reco, quijada, washboard, vest frottoir

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Image
180 Museu de la Música, el Bosc.jpg
Show 2 more facts
Hornbostel-Sachs classification
112.23
Commons category
Güiro
Sources (2)

via Wikidata · CC0

~5 min read

Article

9 sections
Contents
  • Etymology
  • Construction and design
  • History
  • Use in music
  • Use in classical music
  • Gallery
  • See also
  • References
  • External links

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.

Connections

Categories