Claves are an essential part of Cuban styles. They're two solid sticks that are made of either wood, fibreglass or plastic, which produce a short, dry sound when they're knocked into each other. This classic percussion instrument shapes a distinct pitch and is mainly used to play repeating rhythmic patterns, with your fist serving as the resonance chamber.
That Classic Cuban Sound
Claves most likely originated in Latin-America. The instrument is particularly popular in Cuban styles, where it's used to play ostinatos (repeating rhythms) in a style called 'son'. If the right technique is exercised, claves will shape a clearly defined 'tick' that cuts right through all other sounds.
Playing Claves
To play a pair of claves correctly, you'll need to make sure that one of the claves is able to resonate as freely as possible. This is done by lightly holding one clave between the thumb and fingertips of your left hand (assuming you're right-handed) and cupping your hand to create a resonance chamber. The other clave is firmly held at one end with the right hand, kind of in the same way as you'd hold a drumstick, and used to strike right in the middle of the left clave.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Claves
What are claves?
Claves are an essential percussion instrument within Cuban styles of music. They're two solid sticks that are made of either wood, fibreglass or plastic, which produce a short, dry sound when they're knocked into each other.
Which claves should I get?
Claves are traditionally made from wood. In general, wooden claves produce the warmest sound while plastic claves shape the brightest sound.
