What Is a Shaker?
A shaker is one of the simplest and most fun instruments in the world! You hold it in your hand and SHAKE it. Inside the shaker, there are small objects like beads, seeds, rice, or sand that bounce around and hit the walls. That bouncing is what makes the sound!
Shakers come in many shapes and sizes:
Maracas: the classic shaker! A round ball on a handle, usually made of wood or plastic. They come from Latin American music and are used in salsa, samba, and rumba.
Egg shakers: small, egg-shaped shakers that fit perfectly in a kid's hand. They make a softer, more delicate sound than maracas.
Rain sticks: long tube shakers that you tip slowly. Inside, small pebbles cascade down over pins, sounding like falling rain. Beautiful and calming!
Homemade shakers: you can make your own! Put rice, beans, or beads inside a plastic bottle, tape it shut, and shake! Different fillings make different sounds. Rice is soft and swooshy. Beans are loud and chunky.