The Cuban Guiro is a long, dried and hollowed out gourd corrugated on its face. It seems to be of Bantù (Congolese) origin, but traces of a similar instrument can be found into the Indo-Cuban cultures too.

The Guiro is played by scraping the corrugated surface with a thin stick held in the right hand. Left hand hold the guiro by placing the thumb into the hole cut which is in the back.

Typical guiro technique consists of short and long sound. This effect is obtained by varying the duration and lenght of the stroke.
For long sound right hand strokes with a brief downward motion the bottom of the guiro and immediately after scrapes upward the whole surface. Short sounds are short strokes played near the top with an up and down motion.

For faster tempos help your right hand by using left hand with an opposite movement (one hand moves down and the other moves up).

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Items on sale at Musician's Friend
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Latin Percussion LP451 Multi-Guiro II A patented dual stainless surface guiro and shaker all in one. Torpedo Scraper included.

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Latin Percussion LP306B Small Torpedo A dual-purpose instrument that features a textured, stainless-steel body filled with LP's shaker material for guiro-style sound and shaker capabilities. The included fork-style scraper is designed to get loud, cutting guiro sounds while the unit can also be shaken for bright, projecting shaker sound

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Latin Percussion LP243 Super Guiro The product of experience and field testing, the Super Guiro is a durable, professional instrument with a loud, traditional Cuban sound. Precision-molded, it has the shape and feel of natural gourd, stands up to endless use and can be crammed into a crowded percussion case without fear of cracking.

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Meinl Plastic Guiro Precision molded from high-strength plastic. Features 3 different striking surfaces and rubber-ringed grip holes for maximum comfort and control. Slightly dryer and warmer sound than fiberglass, yet brighter and louder than a natural gourd guiro.

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Pearl PFG20 Fiberglass Guiro This fiberglass guiro has metal side for a merengue style sound and another surface that produces a traditional gourd sound. Striker included.

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