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Sweetwater’s Where Movers and Shakers Shop for Percussion
Whether keeping the beat for an acoustic duo or providing the “glue” for an entire rhythm section, shakers are foundational, must-have percussion instruments onstage and in the studio. However, you may not know which percussion shaker offers the tone, features, and price to fit your specific needs.
Sweetwater carries an array of high-quality musical shakers ideal for various performance, instructional, and recording environments. Regardless of whether you’re selecting gear for a school music program, a house of worship, or a solo band, you’ll love our wide selection of models, brands, and styles, each designed to deliver full, rich, and authentic sounds.
Types of Shaker Instruments
Egg Shakers
Not as tasty as a real egg, but much more pleasing to the ear, egg shakers are a popular entry point into the world of percussion.
- Style: African-derived but also integral to Latin and pop music.
- Why they’re great: They’re compact, inexpensive, and easy to play.
Maracas
Often made from a dried gourd or synthetic shell and filled with seeds, beads, or small pellets, these percussion essentials are probably what first come to mind when thinking about shakers.
- Style: Caribbean and Latin
- Why they’re great: Their colorful looks and bright, shimmery sound make a big sonic and visual impact.
Cabasas
Played with two hands, cabasas make a distinctive sound as their metal bead chains slide over a steel cylinder.
- Style: Latin
- Why they’re great: They help create infectious grooves you can’t help but move to.
Live Shakers
Typically made from an aluminum or plastic tube filled with beans, shot, sand, or rice, live shakers are designed for clear projection in a loud environment. Often sold in pairs that are played with one in each hand, some come with straps that allow you to join the pair together for easier one-handed playing.
- Style: Latin
- Why they’re great: They offer a smooth, medium-volume sound that blends well with other instruments and sits nicely in a mix.
Nut Shakers
As their name implies, nut shakers contain dried and hollowed-out nut shells tied to strings or cord and strung together on a handle.
- Style: Traditional and folk
- Why they’re great: Their organic, woody, rain-like tones add pleasing textures to live and recorded music.
Foot Shakers & Heel Shakers
Depending on the model, these might attach to the front of your shoe with a strap, or to your heel with an arm similar to a shoe horn.
- Style: Contemporary
- Why they’re great: They’re ideal for solo musicians, acoustic guitarists, and others who seek a hands-free way to add rhythm to their sound.
Tang-Tang Shaker
Offered by Pearl Drums, a Tang-Tang combines a shaker sound with a caxixi-style plate and a wooden clacker to create a unique sound.
- Style: Based on Latin-style instruments
- Why it’s great: It’s three instruments in one!
Things to Consider When Choosing a Percussion Shaker
Volume
Typically, a larger shaker and/or one made of metal will be louder. A smaller shaker and/or one made of plastic, wood, or a dried-out gourd will be softer. Choose the instrument with the volume level that is appropriate to the setting. For example, select a loud shaker for a live band in a bar and a quiet shaker for an acoustic duo in a coffeehouse.
Musical Style
Naturally, you’ll want to match a Latin-style instrument to Latin music and an African-style instrument to African music. For pop, rock, soundtrack music, and ambient, the only rule is to play what sounds good to your ears.
How Do You Choose the Best-Sounding Musical Shakers?
You can probably find cheap shakers on sale online. While they may look the part, they usually sound dull and lifeless. Here at Sweetwater, we understand drums and percussion, and our in-house experts searched far and wide to assemble a selection of the best shakers you can buy. Because they’re made with higher-quality materials, our offerings deliver bright, full, ear-pleasing timbres. They’re also more durable, meaning they’ll provide years of dependable service at your house of worship, school band program, or with your wedding band. The best part is that even studio-quality shakers are easily affordable, allowing you to create infectious grooves without breaking the bank.
Why Shop Shaker Instruments at Sweetwater.com?
Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned musician, Sweetwater is here to help you find the best shaker to fit your needs! From our guides that take you step by step through what to look for before you buy to our knowledgeable Sales Engineers who can help you narrow down your choices, Sweetwater makes choosing your next shaker fun and hassle-free. Explore our extensive range of informative resources, including our auxiliary percussion buying guide and drum demo and review videos, each designed to help you understand and master your new gear. Don’t forget to contact your Sales Engineer at (800) 222-4700 for further assistance.
What are the most popular brands for Shakers on Sweetwater.com?
What are the most popular Shakers on Sweetwater.com?
-
Meinl Percussion Luis Conte Artist Series Live Shaker - Black
5 out of 5 stars 4 reviews
$16.99 -
Latin Percussion Twist Shaker - Medium
5 out of 5 stars 2 reviews
$20.99 -
Toca Percussion Fiberglass Shekere - Multicolored
5 out of 5 stars 1 review
$79.99 -
Meinl Percussion Kenari Shaker - Large
4 out of 5 stars 1 review
$29.99 -
Meinl Percussion PM2BK Concert Maracas
3.5 out of 5 stars 4 reviews
$24.99
Why shop Shakers at Sweetwater.com?
With a massive selection of Shakers, free shipping, a free 2-year warranty, 24/7 access to award-winning support - and more - Sweetwater gives you more than any other retailer! If you have any questions about Shakers, make sure to give your personal Sales Engineer a call at (800) 222-4700.
