Guiro

Sound and Character

The sound of the guiro is dry, scraping, rhythmically crunchy, perfectly filling the pauses between drum hits and creating an indispensable dance pulse.

Design and Features

Originally made from a hollow dried fruit of the higuerro gourd with parallel grooves (notches) carved on the surface. Modern versions are made of wood, plastic, or a metal tube. The musician scrapes along the notches using a special comb-like stick (pua).

Genres Used In

• Cuban salsa, merengue, cha-cha-cha
• Latin American dance music