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Maracas are gourds containing some seeds or dried beans. They can also be made of leather, wood or plastic. They are most often used in pairs, with one 'pitched' high and the other low. They are percussion instruments and are not actually pitched to a tone on the chromatic scale. When the maraca is shaken, the seeds or beans make a sound. If the maraca is shaken up and down, the sound is percussive, because the objects inside move together and hit the opposite side of the maraca's interior. There are many different ways to play the maraca, including hitting it into the hand, or using motions that are more circular. They are often used in playing Rumbas. They support the rhythm of the music in much the same way that claves do. See link.

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14y ago

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