The situation is undeniable when a non-percussionist asks me for something to shake, like a tambourine or a shaker. Frankly, I don’t think many people realize how much auxiliary percussion impacts the sound when it sounds bad. Instead of hiding my shakers, I thought it would more helpful to share some techniques and ideas about how to play shaker.
The key to playing shaker is the same for any instrument — listen to the sounds you are making in relation to the musical sounds around you. If you are struggling to make good sounds, consider the way you hold the shaker, the type of shaker you are using, the rhythm you are playing, and even if the song sounds good with shaker.
Why does a song need a shaker?
Shakers add a balance to the high frequencies through non-pitched timbres (character of a musical sound). This is another way of saying that the tone of the bass and kick sometimes benefit from something that balances the mix. Although hi hats and other cymbals can satisfy this need, the shaker blends well with cymbals to give us something that, alone, neither instrument can provide.
It’s also an instrument that fills space with simple sounds that carry a soft yet aggressive quality. When played in time, the shaker sound can connect the dots of the other rhythm instruments, like piano or guitar, and make everything feel more in time. Shakers can effectively glue together the rhythm section.
What kinds of shakers do percussionists play?
The standard shaker is modeled after a Brazilian samba instrument. It’s a cylinder made of metal, wood, or plastic with a variety of materials that comprise the internal beads or rattle.
The most common shaker designs include:
- Samba shaker – The samba shaker is a cylindrical instrument with rattle material inside that makes a sound when you move it back and forth.
- Egg shakers – These shakers are shaped and sized like an egg. They are they same concept as any other shaker, yet these small instruments can be more subtle when shaken alone. When played with on in each hand, the rhythmic possibilities expand dramatically.
- Caxixi – The caxixi is easier to recognize than it is to pronounce. It’s a basket with a piece of gourd (or plastic) on one end. This provides a soft and hard material for the beads to interact with, making a contrast of soft long and short louder sounds.
- Maracas – This pair of shakers with handles are perhaps the most recognizable on this list. The maracas are a Cuban shaker that take quite a bit of finesse to make smooth rhythms and sounds. They cut through loud instruments and add a thick layer of rhythm to traditional and popular latin music styles.
- Shekere – The Afro-Cuban shekere is a gourd with beads on the outside in a webbing that can be adjusted. This instrument takes some practice to make even sounds over rumbas and other folkloric music. In the guiro instrumentation, three distinct shekeres (caja, segundo, and golpe) play conversational parts under traditional Afro-Cuban lyrics and melodies.
How should you hold a shaker?
The right way to hold a shaker is the way that allows you to make the sound you want to make. This means you’ll need to listen with intent and make adjustments to achieve the control over the material inside.
For the following examples, I will give you the approach that I’ve learned from my teachers.
The samba shaker is held with the cylinder positioned horizontally. Your hand should be palm up with your thumb on the side closest to your body and your fingers on the opposite side. Use your wrist to shake the instrument toward your body and away. If you need more volume, incorporate arm movement with the wrist.
Egg shakers can be held in a similar way as the samba, to the degree that the shape and size permit. I like to hold two eggs vertically and take advantage of the rhythmic possibilities when the up and down motions are staggered, essentially doubling the rhythm between the two shakers (see the section below on how to decide what to play).
The basket-style shakers (i.e., caxixi, ganza) are held vertically with the gourd piece (or plastic) on the bottom. This places the top of your hands facing outwardly to the side. Use your wrists and arms to achieve the rhythms and sounds you want, and try pronating your forearm to reposition the shaker for more control over the accents.
What’s the best shaker for the song?
Most grooves can benefit from the high-end balance of a shaker. But before you choose to play shaker, it’s important to choose the right instrument for the part.
For more information on adding percussion parts to songs, check out this article with 21 Tips.
Shakers are made of a variety of materials, and they can produce equally as many results. For example, a metal shaker is going to be louder and cut through louder mixes. Whereas a plastic shaker is usually softer and more subtle.
What brands make the best shakers?
I’ve never found one brand that’s better than another. As long as the brand has a variety of sizes and materials, your shaker collection will be complete. In fact, the following brands all have more options than anyone would ever need.
Pearl PGA-32 Hex Ganza
Latin Percussion (LP)
The LP brand set the standard for auxiliary percussion decades ago, and the shaker selection holds up well to the precedent. I recommend the LP Session Shaker (large) if you only want to buy one shaker. I can’t buy just one, so I also like the LP Rock Shaker for cutting through loud guitars and the LP Soft Shake for the more delicate situations.
Meinl
This brand has some of the best options for adding a variety of timbres (different sounds) to your shaker collection. I love LP, but Meinl’s selection is more exciting, and the construction is just as good for a slightly lower price.
Meinl has a variety of shakers you can wear, ganza and caxixi basket designs, mini cajon shakers, and the full range of samba style shakers for whatever volume or timbre you want. Luis Conte is the most prominent signature artist under Meinl, and his line includes three different shakers for achieving different volumes. I recommend buying a package with all three to save some money.
How do you decide what to play?
The rhythm you choose to play is the most important part. You’ll need to decide whether a busier or more sparse rhythm is most appropriate for the song. You may want to select a shaker that complements the part, which could mean trying several shakers before finding the right one.
Sometimes I think of the shaker as an equal to the hi hat or ride pattern. Like the hi hat, this means that it can be dominant or subtle. More dominant patterns may include more accented notes, and the more subtle parts are likely to be supportive of rhythms already played by rhythm section instruments, like guitar or piano.
If you are playing a Latin tune, the shaker rhythms will be dictated by the style. For example, if the song is a samba, the accent pattern and feel of the unaccented inner beats are as follows.
Here are some examples of rhythms that are more syncopated. Try adding accents in different places as it sounds good for the groove you are making.
What famous songs have shaker?
Listen to the verse of Tom Petty’s “Refugee” – the shaker is loud and awesome. This fact was brought to my attention during a mixing session when I mentioned that the shaker should be subtle. The engineer responded by cranking “Refugee,” and the moment the verse kicked in, I lost the argument because I love Tom Petty and sounded great.
The Rolling Stone’s “Sympathy for the Devil” is Another song that features the shaker prominently in the mix. The song starts with a bar or two of drums, the congas come in for a bar, and the shaker is hot on top. It sounds more like a shaker with large beads and a metal cylinder, but it could be rocks in bottle.
Can anyone make a shaker?
I had a couple of professional studio dates before I left high school, and I was as green as it gets. During one of the sessions, we finished tracking the drums, and the engineer said, “Okay, we’re ready to track percussion.” I freaked out and ran to grab whatever I could find.
Luckily, there was a tambourine in the lobby, a cowbell in the trunk of my car, and an empty bottle with a lid. I cleaned and dried the bottle before putting course sand in it from just outside of the entrance to the studio.
When I popped back in the control room with my percussion instruments, it was like I had planned it. People talked about that shaker sound more than my drum sound. The song writer was watching me make the shaker, and to this day he comments about it when I see him.
How to Make a Shaker (Instrument)
… A great activity for kids of all ages.
- Find a clean glass, plastic, or metal bottle (or other container) with a lid.
- Fill the container with rocks, beads, or dried beans.
- Seal the bottle / container, and shake it however you want.
My friend Chris made a shaker for an art project in high school. He used beads of some sort and a couple of aluminum cans. It sounded awesome, even with the paint that he applied to the cans. Chris’s shaker was my inspiration.
Where do shakers come from historically?
The shakers we use in pop music are from West African music traditions brought to the Americas via the transatlantic slave trade. The samba shaker was reinvented in Brazil, as was the caxixi. Afro-Cuban shakers like maracas and shekere have been critical instruments in the folkloric and modern popular styles played all around the world.