Need help identifying a musical instrument.

[The Backlash Cometh]

I purchased a souvenir which was made out of a dried gourd. The gourd was a fruit of a tree and if you hollowed it out and dried it in the sun, it would harden. Someone figured out how to cut ridges in the gourd so when it dried, it had about a three by two inch section of ridges. Then, there was a piece of wood that looked like a flat hair pick. When you ran that piece across the ridges, you would get a trilling like noise. The way they played the instrument, they would tap the gourd twice and then trill. That was their version of cow-bell.

In the musical world, does this kind of instrument have a name?

[lazarus]

1. I think it's a güiro

The güiro.

Full credit to my wife, Haele, who found it.

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. Your wife is a genius.

[lazarus]

3. that, she is

I'll make sure to tell her that. :hi:

[amyrose2712]

5. HA...I have been calling it a "weedo" for years...

We happened upon a Latino couple playing one in the park one day in the early 90s. I have been thinking he said "weedo" all these years. DUH! You'd think I would have picked up on the accent, having a father from Puerto Rico and all.DOH!

[old mark]

4. They are used in some types of Carribean -especially in Puerto Rican- music...

here's an article on them including sound clip...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%BCiro

mark