Civilizations throughout history have used the gourd to make a range of melodic pawn , include the maraca . The maraca is a hand - held melodic rhythm section legal instrument that people often apply in dyad to create rhythm for terpsichore and songs , especially when working with kid . Although you could conform just about any kind of gourd vine to make a maraca , gourd that have a of course narrow , elongated neck opening , such as the bufflehead gourd and the bottle gourd , are easy to utilize since you do n’t demand to add a handle . Rather , you could just employ the neck of the gourd as your maraca handle . Provided you ’ve cleaned and dry out your calabash out front of metre , you should be able to make this cheap , easygoing - to - construct maraca in two sequent afternoons .
Step 1
Make a muddle in the gourd vine to clean house out the seeds and pulp . apply a keyhole take in to make a little jam ( about 1 1/2 inch in diam ) where the stadium of the gourd set about to stretch into the neck opening . If your calabash does n’t have an elongated neck opening , just make the hole at the al-Qaida of the gourd stem .
Step 2
pawn the gourd . Fill a dishpan with enough hot urine to submerge the gourd vine completely . Put the gourd in the water , appropriate it to meet with the piddle and let it intoxicate for up to 24 hours to soften the pulp . rate a heavy object such as a brick on top of the gourd to keep it submerged in the water .
Step 3
Remove the seeds and flesh . utilize a narrow , long - handled spoonful to scoop out the semen and pulp , which should come out of the calabash well because you soaked it .
Step 4
Insert noisemakers into your dried gourd through the hole . Ginger Summit , carbon monoxide gas - generator of " stool Gourd Musical Instruments , " suggests that you use materials such as small pebbles , bead or other seed ( like helianthus seed ) as your noisemakers .
Step 5
Prepare the handle for your gourd maraca . If you ’re using a gourd with a natural handle , just exit the mess off with a cork that fits securely into the yap . If your gourd does n’t have a handle material body , insert a 6- to 8 - inch farsighted wooden dowel pin ( with a diameter of 1 1/2 inches ) into the open jam about 2 inches . Secure the dowel by apply an even layer of all - purpose gum around the circumference of the dowel pin where it play the calabash . permit the glue to dry all .
Step 6
Cover your gourd with open varnish to finish it off . utilise a small brush to implement the varnish in humble , even stroke . Allow it to dry out for at least 24 hours before you use the gourd maraca .
