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 Claves (klah-veys) are two thick sticks you knock together. Rooted in Latin and Cuban music, clave patterns keep the band on beat by playing the off beats, or between notes. We use to call them 'two sticks' in Sister Mary MagaretÕs second grade class. They were yellow and sounded kind of dead. These claves are made from a beautifully dark grained hard wood from Central Mexico called Genadilla. For three generations, the same family of artisans have hand 'turned' claves on lathes that are electric now, but still stand on dirt floors in their homes. Paracho is world renowned for handmade guitars and mandolins.
How to Play: The clave call is a sharp, high-pitched wood-on-wood sound. Hold one clave loosely laid on top of the palm and curled fingers and strike firmly with the other at a right angle. A duller, alternate sound can be achieved by gripping the first clave tighter, and muffling the classic sound.
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