scraping

Scraping percussion are usually associated with guiros – an instrument found in the perc section of latin-music. But you don’t need a standard guiro to make scraping sounds. In-fact anything with ridged surfaces can be used, from guitarstrings to radiators.
Select the pieces that will work by judging its clarity in tone, its sound and pitch. Focus on the mid-tones, and the richness in the timbre. Much mid-tone is an advantage, and gives more character.

Some objects might surprise you. And reveal timbre that you would not have guess by its appearance. Some smaller things might produce rich and deeper sounds, while other bigger objects might be brighter than expected. With close mi-placements you can get great bottom-end even with small instruments.

The guiro that we like to use is made out of bamboo. The one I like to use is a closed guiro with small beans inside. So it also works as a shaker, two instruments in one. It has a lovely soft scraping sound. Another favorite is to scrape the deeper pianostrings (the death-scrape). But we have also collected industrial scrap and offbeat materials ranging from accordion parts to artillery shells, washboards, sandpaper, huge springs and large screws

BICYCLE WHEEL
The spokes are struck with mallets or bowed. Preferably with a bassbow or cello bow. You can also spin the wheel while holding some hard paper or stick into the spokes for a guiro kind of quality.