3.4 Grow a musical instrument  (Page 7/8)

Materials

1. You can hollow out this gourd using a reasonably large hole at the stem end. Traditionally this hole is left open, so that the sound resonating inside the instrument can escape. Sometimes extra holes are also carved into the instrument for the player to slip a finger or thumb into, in order to have a firm hold on the instrument, so this can be a good instrument to make if your gourd already has an extra hole! When choosing where to make finger holes, decide which surface will have the ridges, and hold the gourd so that surface is facing away from the hand. Curve the thumb and index finger towards the gourd to see where a useful spot for a grip hole would be.
2. Choose the playing surface for your guiro . The best surface will be relatively flat for several inches in one direction.
3. Mark a series of parallel, straight lines onto the chosen surface of the gourd. Each line should be at least an inch long, and the spacing between the lines should be between one quarter and one half of an inch. (Relatively close together will work well for notches; further apart may be better if you are making ridges.)
4. If you are carving notches in the gourd, carefully cut or persistently file the gourd at each marked line until it is deep enough to "catch" a stick drawn across it, but not so deep as to become a hole in the gourd.
5. If you are building ridges instead of carving notches, use a strong glue to glue a bobby pin or other thin, hard object over each marked line. Or you can dredge a long piece of twine in glue, and wrap the gluey twine around the gourd, taking care that each pass around the gourd results in the twine covering one of the marked lines. Allow the glue to dry thoroughly before testing the instrument.
6. Test the instrument by drawing a hard stick firmly and rapidly across all of the notches/ridges. Deepen the notches, re-glue ridges, or add more of either until you are pleased with the sound.
7. If desired, decorate and/or varnish the instrument.
8. If desired, you can make an instrument that is both a guiro and a rattle. This is not traditional, but some modern instruments are both. If you want to do this, do not cut finger holes in the gourd. Instead, fill it with pebbles, beads, or dry beans, and reattach the cut end, as described in the rattle instructions.

Shekere

This is another popular African gourd instrument. It can be played by shaking it, hitting it against the hand, or throwing it from one hand to the other. There are many different possible patterns for weaving the bead net. For a high-quality and very beautiful shekere, see one of the many websites on the instrument.

Materials

• Professional shekeres are often made using large gourds; the resonance of the large gourd as it is slapped against the hand is part of the characteristic sound of the instrument. For an easy-to-make student instrument, choose smaller gourds with long thin necks that can be used as a handle, to shake the instrument like a rattle, or choose medium-sized bottle gourds that can be played in a more typical shekere fashion. The gourd should have a strongly rounded shape, or a strongly rounded section around which you can weave the net without worrying that the finished net will slip off the end.
• You will need sturdy medium-sized beads with reasonably large holes, and lots (and lots) of string or twine that fits easily through the bead holes.
• Shekere instructions often suggest using nylon string and burning and fusing rather than cutting and tying the ends. Depending on your preferences, you'll need a candle or scissors to take care of string ends.
• You will want to devise a way to hold the gourd and the growing net in place while you are weaving. Rubber bands, removable tape such as masking tape, and something that can act as a sturdy "stand" for the instrument will all be helpful.