Claves
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Claves are percussion sticks used widely in Latin American music. One stick, held between thumb and forefinger, strikes the second stick, which rests across the cupped palm of the other hand. In the dance music known as the rumba, claves sound the unchanging, background rhythm.
| Family |
| Percussions |
| Pitch range |
| None. |
| Material |
| Hardwood. |
| Size |
| 8-10 in (20-25 cm) long ; just over 1 in (2.5cm) in diameter. |
| Origins |
| Although hand-held clappers have existed since ancient times, claves themselves originated in Cuba. They were probably created in the 19th century by the slaves brought from Africa to work on the sugar and tobacco plantations. |
| Classification |
| Idiophone: an instrument that produces its sound through the use of the material from which it is made, without needing strings or a stretched skin. |
| And also... |
| The hollow created by the player's cupped hand amplifies the sound made by the claves. Without this, they only produce a dull clunking noise. |
