Simple but indispensable percussion!??

I'm Satoshi Sammy Saito, a percussionist. This time, I would like to introduce the most familiar and simple, but indispensable percussion instruments.

Shakers

Speaking of shakers, they are the most familiar percussion instruments that everyone can understand. Self-made shakers using empty cans are also often used. There are many types of shakers within percussion, and it is difficult to grasp all of them. This time, I would like to introduce and explain the shakers that I would recommend.

Manufacturer: LP (Latin Percussion)
Product Name: Twist Shaker (Yellow LP441T-S / Blue LP441T-M / Red LP441T-L)
Features: Stick type shaker with grains (beads) on both sides. The size of the grains (beads) changes depending on the color of the shaker （yellow：small → blue：medium → red：large）, and they can be used depending on what the application requires. Since the shakers themselves are separated, one-handed or two-handed performance is possible.

Manufacturer: LP (Latin Percussion)
Product Name: LP LP0020RD Big Egg Shaker Red
Features: A large egg shaker of about 8 cm. It's a little difficult to control the grains (beads), but it produces a clear treble with contours and a loud volume that cannot be obtained with a normal egg shaker.

Manufacturer: MEINL Percussion
Product name: Proton Shaker SH23
Features: A slender stick-type shaker. It can easily handle short phrases as well as fast-paced songs. Since there is no partition in the body, it is possible to play at various angles, but it is difficult to control the grains (beads). Since the body is made of aluminum, it produces a crisp high-pitched sound, and the sound is not buried even in a band with other instruments.

Manufacturer: ROHEMA
Product Name: Wood Mini Shaker High Pitch 61562/2
Features: A small palm-sized shaker. A shaker with a small body that makes it easy to control grains (beads). Since the body is made of wood, the volume is low, but since it produces high-pitched sounds, a sufficient volume can be obtained by using a microphone.

How to shake -Basics-

The shakers introduced vary in size, shape, and grains (beads), but the basic way of using them is the same. Therefore, I will explain the basic shaking method.

● No accent

Just gently shake the shaker back and forth, but without any accents, so that the sound when you move it forward and when you move it backward is constant. After deciding the tempo (bpm), shake it so that the speed, sound quality, and volume when moving it back and forth according to the tempo are always constant.

● Front accent

When you hear the word "accent", some will tend to shake it more strongly to make it sound louder and stronger, but if you use the snap well without shaking it with force, you will get a nice staccato accent. Rather than moving it forward, you can add a beautiful accent by moving it with the image of dropping it diagonally forward.

● Rear accent

As mentioned earlier in the front accent, the rear accent also uses a snap instead of force. However, unlike the front accent, the rear accent is accented by pulling the shaker, so you will use muscles that you do not normally use. I don't think you’ll get a good accent at first, but don't give up and practice repeatedly without too much effort. Gradually, the inner muscle used for the back accent comes alive, and suddenly it will become an accent. The rear accent is an image of pulling in a trajectory that holds the arm.

● One point

What you should be aware of when shaking the shaker is the movement of the grains (beads). Please be aware of how the grains (beads) move when you shake them, and where the grains (beads) hit. And, instead of hitting the shaker's shell (wall) with the grains (beads) when adding accents, try to control the grains (beads) so that a large mass of grains (beads)hits the shell.

* Click here for details on how to shake a shaker!

Funny shakers

There are various types of shakers, but I would like to introduce some slightly strange shakers.

LP442F Shaker

Manufacturer: LP (Latin Percussion)
Product Name: LP442F Finger One Shot Shaker
Features: A small shaker that can be worn on your finger. It’s made so that it makes a sound only once with one swing, and if you hit a percussion instrument while wearing it, you will hear a nice shaker sound, and an excellent small shaker that makes the percussion instrument and the shaker sound at the same time!

LP442A Shaker

Manufacturer: LP (Latin Percussion)
Product Name: LP442A One Shot Shaker
Features: A one-shot shaker of the same structure as the finger one-shot shaker. A shaker that is useful in special situations such as when you don't want to make additional sounds or when you want to make phrases with a single accent!

LP442A Shaker

Manufacturer: Schlagwerk
Product Name: SR-SK25 Long Short Shaker
Features: Since the partition length is different between the LONG and SHORT sides, it is possible to produce different tones. Depending on the song, you can use LONG and SHORT as necessary, or you can mix the LONG and SHORT shaker sounds, and one shaker can play the sound of two shakers!

I introduced shakers which are a little strange and are ideal for adding sound changes. In addition to the shakers introduced this time, there are various shakers such as a shaker that can change the pitch and a shaker that can adjust the volume with your fingers,so please check them out when you have time. Shakers are small percussion instrument that are indispensable,although they are simple, and can be used while hitting a percussion instrument or expressing a rhythm with only the shaker. Indispensable percussion instrument: Let's get started with shakers!

* I have introduced "Immediately usable shakers" in my Shaking -Basics- video, but since all 7 parts of the series introduce how to shake them and make phrases, please practice the shaker while referring to these videos.

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