The güiro, like the maracas, is often played by a singer. It is closely related to the Cuban guayo, Dominican güira, and Haitian graj which are made of metal. Other instruments similar to the güiro are the Colombian guacharaca, the Brazilian reco-reco, the quijada (cow jawbone) and the frottoir (French) or fwotwa (French Creole) ( washboard). [1] Etymology [ edit ] Examples of compositions including a güiro are Uirapuru by Heitor Villa-Lobos (though the score specifies reco-reco), Latin-American Symphonette by Morton Gould and The Rite of Spring ( Le Sacre du printemps) by Stravinsky. [13] Gallery [ edit ]

Fun Fact: There are other gourd-based percussion instruments, which include the shekere. What Kind of Music Is the Guiro Used For? Keithley, Joseph F., The Story of Electrical and Magnetic Measurements: From 500 BC to the 1940s, IEEE Press, 1999 ISBN 0780311930. Synonyms for this device include galvanoscopic frog, frog's leg galvanoscope, frog galvanometer, rheoscopic frog, and frog electroscope. The device is properly called a galvanoscope rather than galvanometer since the latter implies accurate measurement whereas a galvanoscope only gives an indication. [2] In modern usage a galvanometer is a sensitive laboratory instrument for measuring current, not voltage. Everyday current meters for use in the field are called ammeters. [3] A similar distinction can be made between electroscopes, electrometers, and voltmeters for voltage measurements.

Generally, the luthier creates a hollow in the gourd and carves parallel notches on its shell. The gourd is then dried and decorated with paintings or carvings. The vossa-satl, also known as the frog-pipes, [1] are a musical instrument of Argonian make found predominately in Murkmire. It resembles a polished wooden clam shell with a series of valves along the top; within each segment of the shell is a small, hollow compartment with a mouth like a bugle. Traditional guiros are made from the fruit of the higuero tree native to Puerto Rico. Gourds from many similar trees native to Latin and Central America are used, as well. The gourds are hollowed, dried and the shells carved with parallel notches. The width and placement of the notches or ridges creates slight changes in the sound but they are all very similar. The gourds may also include decorative carvings or paintings, particularly when used in folk or devotional music. Fiberglass and wooden guiros are made by many percussion makers to be more durable when playing guiro instrument, while maintaining a smooth sound that’s closer to the original. While not as popular with traditional Latin percussionists, they are used in many Western popular and orchestral music pieces. Fun Fact: Different Latin countries refer to the scrapped idiophone differently. While Puerto Rico calls it guiro, Brasil name it reco-reco, quijada in Afro-Peruvian, guacharaca in Columbia and the Dominican Republic has guira. What Material Is the Guiro Made Of?

The shape of the Guiro can affect the sound it produces, with longer Guiros producing lower-pitched sounds. Guiros add a distinctive sound to any music genre, from Latin to pop, and are preferred in different regions of the world. The history of the guiro Fun Fact:Different notches sizes and textured surfaces make distinct characteristic sounds of the instrument. It is also not unusual to find a guiro shaped like a frog. Across Latin America and the Caribbean, the güiro can be found in a variety of traditional, folk dance music and used in dance ensembles and religious festivals. [5] In the Yucatán Peninsula, the güiro is used in two Mayan dances, the mayapax and the jarana. [7] In Cuba, the güiro is used in the genre danzón. [7] In Puerto Rico, the güiro often associated with the music of the jíbaro and is used in the musical genres of the plena, the seis, and the danza. [8] [12] In the Caribbean coast, the güiro was used in traditional, folk dance cumbia music and is still used in modern cumbia music. [7] In Panama, the güiro can be found in folk dances such as the merjorana and cumbia. [5] Use in classical music [ edit ]An entire frog's hind leg is removed from the frog's body with the sciatic nerve still attached, and possibly also a portion of the spinal cord. The leg is skinned, and two electrical connections are made. These may be made to the nerve and the foot of the frog's leg by wrapping them with metal wire or foil, [16] but a more convenient instrument is Matteucci's arrangement shown in the image. The leg is placed in a glass tube with just the nerve protruding. Connection is made to two different points on the nerve. [17] The güiro is a notched, hollowed-out gourd. [3] Often, the calabash gourd is used. [4] The güiro is made by carving parallel circular stripes along the shorter section of the elongated gourd. Today, many güiros are made of wood or fiberglass. [5] History [ edit ] Solís, Ted (1995). "Jíbaro Image and the Ecology of Hawai'i Puerto Rican Musical Instruments". Latin American Music Review / Revista de Música Latinoamericana. 16 (2): 123–153. doi: 10.2307/780370. JSTOR 780370. This is one mean snappy crocodile, stunningly carved, and works well as an ornament! Whilst the one in the photo is natural wood, it does also come in green and is just as snappy! 2. Croaking Frog The vossa-satl utilizes live frogs, which are stored within the instrument and sprayed with a frog-musk to induce chirping and croaking, with the musician pushing on the valves to muffle or leave open certain chambers. Each chamber is a different size and produces a different tone. There are all kinds of vossa-satls, with some as small as a jaw harp and others as big as a pipe organ. Its sound is described as "bizarre but harmonious." [2]

It takes much patience to keep a vossa-satl in tune. Especially if the frogs are in mating season. Please excuse me." ― Chelni [src]The güiro is used in classical music both to add Latin American flavor, and also purely for its instrumental qualities. Learn about tree frogs of American tropical rainforests. Adhesive disks on their feet help them walk on slippery leaves without sliding, and they lay eggs; within the egg mass, embryos can be seen twitching. The tree frog with a translucent underside is called a glass frog (family Centrolenidae). (42 sec; 7 MB) (more) See all videos for this article The frog galvanoscope can be used to detect the direction of electric current. A frog's leg that has been somewhat desensitised is needed for this. The sensitivity of the instrument is greatest with a freshly prepared leg and then falls off with time, so an older leg is best for this. The response of the leg is greater to currents in one direction than the other and with a suitably desensitised leg it may only respond to currents in one direction. For a current going into the leg from the nerve, the leg will twitch on making the circuit. For a current passing out of the leg, it will twitch on breaking the circuit. [21]