2. HOUSEHOLD OBJECT PERCUSSION: CASTANETS
Stay-at-Home Music for Families
Make Your Own Castanets
Today we’d like to share a fun activity from our Percussion Program. In this video, WCM Percussion and Jazz Faculty member Mitch Shiner shows you how to make your own castanets with bottle caps and cardboard!
Castanets are percussion instruments that are used primarily in Flamenco, the musical style from Spain that features guitar, voice, dance, castanets, and cajon.
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Learn how to make your own Castanets at home
Materials, Instructions, & Music
MATERIALS REQUIRED (for two castanets):
Cardboard – Scissors – Four (4) bottle caps – Duct Tape in various sized pieces – Four (4) three-inch pieces for bottle caps – Two (2) six-inch pieces for finger sleeves – One (1) one-inch piece to attach sleeve to cardboard
INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE YOUR OWN BOTTLE CAP CASTANETS:
1. Cut cardboard into a long, thin rectangle. Dimensions are about 6″ x 1″. (I used the short side of a cardboard box and made 1 inch strips out of it)
2. Make a tape loop with the four pieces of three-inch tape. Sticky side out!
3. Stick the tape loop into the bottom side of the bottle cap.
4. Form a little tape ball with the extra tape hanging off the sides of the cap.
5. Stick the bottle cap on the short sides of your cardboard strips.
6. Fold your castanet in half, so the bottle caps click together.
7. Make the finger sleeve. Fold the six-inch piece of duct tape in thirds, shiny side out. You do not want any sticky on this part!
8. Wrap the sleeve around the cardboard, about one inch from center fold.
9. Tape the loop to the cardboard, and adjust the size as needed.
10. Repeat as desired for more castanet making… and MAKE SOME MUSIC!!!
FLAMENCO RHYTHMS
“Three Quarters Time” or 3/4 time
– Count out loud “One, Two, Three. One, Two, Three.” – Click both hands together on each beat.
Flamenco beat: “One, Two and, Three” “1 2+ 3”
– Both, Right Left, Right – Quarter, Eighth Eighth, Quarter –
Play along with Paco De Lucia’s Malagueña.
¡OLÉ!
Percussion | Jazz
Meet Mitch Shiner
Education
- Bachelor of Music, Emphasis in Jazz Studies | Indiana University Jacobs School of Music
- Performer’s Certificate for Senior Recital
Background
- WCM faculty member since 2016.
- Began playing drums at age eight and has been studying percussion since age nine.
- Currently based in Milwaukee, Mitch is an in-demand performer, active educator, and composer.
- Co-leads tour-de-force fusion group, “Match Stick,” which released a self-titled album in 2019.
- In 2014, Mitch released his debut CD, “FLY!”, which invites listeners on a musical journey of original compositions and out-of-the-box arrangements for 20-piece big band.
- Featured clinician for the 2015 Summerfest Big Band Camp, along with Curt Hanrahan and Mike Steinel.
Conducted masterclasses at UW-Parkside, University of Indianapolis, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Park Tudor School, and Nicolet High School. - Teaches percussion at several Milwaukee public schools through the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music’s Conservatory Connections program.
The Wisconsin Conservatory of Music continues to be a place of the highest quality music education! Thank you for your continued support in my daughter’s music education.
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