Listen to the claves
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
How the claves makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the claves belongs to the struck idiophones: the body is struck directly – bells, gongs, xylophones and cymbals.
More broadly it is one of the idiophones, where the solid body of the instrument itself vibrates, without strings or a stretched membrane.
Players shape its sound through technique and materials; the resonating body filters the raw vibration, boosting some harmonics and damping others.
From Wikipedia
Claves are a percussion instrument consisting of a pair of short, wooden sticks about 20–25 centimeters (8–10 inches) long and about 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) in diameter. Although traditionally made of wood (typically rosewood, ebony or grenadilla) many modern manufacturers offer claves made of fiberglass or plastic.
When struck, claves produce a bright, penetrating clicking noise. This makes them useful when playing in large dance bands. Claves are sometimes hollow and carved in the middle to amplify the sound.
Other struck idiophones
Frequently asked questions
What does a claves sound like?
Listen to 1 recording on this page. As one of the struck idiophones, its sound comes from the way the body is struck directly.
What type of instrument is the claves?
It is classified as struck idiophones (Hornbostel–Sachs 111.11).
Sources & credits
- Claves – Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q850118 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Claves – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Freddythehat at English Wikipedia – Public domain