Why I recommend the Cajon

I think many people are familiar with the cajon as an instrument. It has become overwhelmingly popular lately compared to 20 years ago, hasn’t it? Many artists incorporate it into their music, use it to arrange songs, and you can often see it on TV music programs. As someone who owns a popular cajon, I would like to tell you why I recommend it.

① 1 Easy to handle even for musical instrument beginners and it’s fashionable

When you watch a video of someone hitting the cajon, it makes a very fashionable statement. The cajon is very easy to play because all you have to do is hit it. You can easily play it using only two tones. First, hit ① in the image below with all five fingertips to make a low bass sound. You’ll hear a low bass sound similar to a bass drum “thump”. Next, tap ② in the image with your fingertips to produce a high-pitched tone. If you hit these sections rhythmically with both hands, you'll start feeling like a musician!

→ PLAYTECH / Cajon

② 1 A presence that changes the atmosphere of the song

When you're in a band, Live gigs can become monotonous, and though the playing environment is different than usual, you might think "I want to change the atmosphere of the song...." Please try playing rock, pop, or metal songs that you usually play on a drum set with a cajon. If you slow the tempo down, reduce the number of notes, and hit with the JAZZ rhythm, you can arrange the song for a bossa nova-like atmosphere in no time!

③ 1 A variety of accessoies

Your cajon performance can be enriched by adding a variety of accessories. I will introduce some of them, so please take a look.

■ Wind chimes

■ Splash cymbal

■ Kick pedal

■ Foot tambourine

Choosing accessories can be fun and there are many cheap ones, so you’ll just want to have more and more ♪ There are even more accessories than those I introduced this time. Please try to find the one (ones?) that suits you.

How was it? The cajon is an easy-to-understand instrument, but it can also be a profound instrument. I hope you will take this opportunity to enjoy Cajon life with me ☆