Güira

This article covers the Latin American rhythm instrument. For the cuckoo genus Guira see Guirakuckuck . For the Burkinabe soccer player, see Adama Guira .

A small Güira with a handle

The Güira [ ˈgwiɾa ], also Guira, is a scrap instrument of Latin American music .

Above all, it plays a central role in the merengue . (The traditional merengue with accordion , saxophone , Güira and Tambora is also called "Güiri güiri" in the Dominican Republic .)

The Güira is similar in structure and playing style to the better known, made of pumpkin Güiro , which is used in Cuban and Puerto Rican music, for example in Danzón as well as in the Colombian music styles Cumbia and Vallenato . It consists of a metal cylinder that has a rough surface with many small bulges.

This surface is rubbed with an iron broom (scraper). This creates a sound that can be understood as the Caribbean equivalent of hi- hats. The Güira has interesting variations due to the scraping technique. The short attack sounds in principle similar to a "closed hi-hat", the long attack like an "open hi-hat".

literature

• José Cortijo: Playing small percussion. Instructions for playing the most common small percussion instruments . Leu-Verlag, Bergisch-Gladbach 2005, ISBN 3-89775-081-3 .