PERCUSSION
SHAKER SUBS | Mark Shelton
Inside a cylinder , hundreds of tiny spheres slide back and forth producing crisp sounds that define the intended rhythm . Yep , the shaker is at it again ! The bright chika-chika tone of a shaker is a frequent sound in modern worship music .
Do you find yourself playing a lot of shaker rhythms ? Have you ever wanted to substitute another instrument ? Check out a few other percussion instruments that can serve as candidates for shaker substitution .
CABASA A ridged metal sheet wraps around the curved surface of a cylinder and strands of metal beads encircle the metal sheet to form the sound-producing elements of the cabasa . The tonal possibilities of the cabasa are reminiscent of a shaker . Sounds on the instrument can be produced by striking , scraping , and shaking as demonstrated in this video :
ONE SHOT The brainchild of Daniel de los Reyes ( Zac Brown Band ), the One Shot produces a shakerlike tone on only one of its flat sides . This design allows the player to perform intricate rhythms with a tight and precise articulation . Rhythmic passages that would be impossible with a conventional shaker become easily achievable with the One Shot . Invest in a couple and enjoy playing hand-to-hand patterns .
FINGER SHOT Have you ever wanted to add a shaker part to a groove , but both of your upper body limbs were already occupied with a two-handed rhythm ?
Easier than growing an extra arm , slip on a couple of Finger Shots and voilá !— you ’ re ready to toss in that desired shaker sound . Similar to the One Shot , these miniature shakers produce sound ONLY on downstrokes so that each downward strike on a percussion instrument is doubled with a shaker sound . You ’ ll want at least two .
SHEKERE The shekere has the look of a mediumdifficulty macrame project . A string network with interwoven beads and / or shells wraps loosely around a gourd to create a traditional shekere . Modern versions often substitute a ‘ synthetic gourd ’ instead of the fragile fruit . This video shows how to play the shekere using shaker technique :
CAXIXI The body of the caxixi consists of a coneshaped woven basket attached to a ‘ floor ’ made from a circular piece of gourd , metal , or plastic . A crisp attack and short sustain make the caxixi a nice alternative to a conventional shaker . Grab a few caxixi techniques at
MARACAS The swishy tone of the maracas is at home in a variety of settings including Mexican folk songs , tunes from the Andes , salsa rhythms , and
worship music . One might be surprised by the various methods of playing maracas . I urge you to search the web for videos of both the salsa and the Joropo styles of maraca technique . ( Brace yourself for the Joropo method — it is over-the-top amazing !) This short video shows how I apply shaker technique to playing the maracas .
My preference for maracas in pop / rock applications is plastic bulbs with a fill of plastic pellets . This combination of materials produces
a coarse tone quality with plenty of volume .
SLEIGH BELLS
Not just for Christmas ! The sleigh bells can rock
year-round . You might raise a few eyebrows when this instrument makes an appearance in July , but the bright timbre will bring a jangling
‘ ethno-rock ’ vibe to the mix . Striking quarter or eighth notes works great or you can hold the sleigh bells parallel to the floor and use shaker technique to play a stream of sixteenths .
Selecting a tone quality that will fit the musical texture of a song is an important aspect of the art of a percussionist . Investing in several substitutes ( along with a variety of actual shakers ) will broaden your shaker-like options when choosing an appropriate timbre to place
into a musical moment .
© 2022 Mark Shelton Productions / Percussion For Worship
Mark Shelton Mark is a freelance musician and educational consultant based in Dallas / Fort Worth . Performance credits include North Carolina Symphony , Tin Roof Tango , Daystar Singers & Band , Gateway Worship , Wichita Falls Orchestra , Strata Big Band , TALEA , and Dallas Wind Symphony . www . marksheltonmusic . com percussionforworship . blogspot . com