Güiro

The güiro is a percussion instrument made from an open, hollow gourd with parallel notches cut along one side. It is played by rubbing a stick or a set of tines along the notches, making a ratchet-like sound.

The güiro is common in Cuban, Puerto Rican and other Latin American music, and plays a key role in the rhythm section of important styles such as son, trova and salsa. Playing it usually needs both long and short sounds, made by scraping up and down in long or short strokes.