What exactly are guiros?

Guiros are wonderful percussion instruments that often consist of a long, hollow gourd with ridges. When a stick is scraped along the ridges a vibration occurs through the entire instrument and it creates a deep croaking sound...hence why they are often carved as frogs!

How is a guiro played?

To play a frog guiro a stick is pulled or scraped along the frog’s ‘spine’. This creates a deep croaking sound – just like a frog! Different sounds can be made by playing at different speeds or applying different pressures to the scraper. By tapping the head of the frog you can make the beloved ‘thock’ sound.

How are frog guiros made?

Our frog guiros are made in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, at a family run workshop. We have been fortunate enough to visit the workshop and see first-hand how these characterful instruments are crafted.

The next step is to use a drill to shape the central hole in each frog. Each frog is drilled and then given a quick tap on the head to see if it makes the desired 'thock' sound!

The frogs are then placed in a large drying kiln which is almost entirely fired by leftover chunks of wood.

Once fully dried they are stained or painted using various techniques. We stock natural wood and of course a vibrant rainbow theme in various sizes! Before shipping out the guiros, each are sound checked – we can’t have a quiet frog now can we!

When is a guiro used / played?

A guiro is typically included within a percussion ensemble and is used to keep a rhythm during a performance. They can sometimes be included in the percussion sections of classical orchestras as well.