{"id":5651,"date":"2011-03-15T08:56:39","date_gmt":"2011-03-15T08:56:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.musicademy.com\/?p=5651"},"modified":"2022-10-26T11:53:19","modified_gmt":"2022-10-26T11:53:19","slug":"percussion-instruments-in-worship-two-hand-and-single-hand-egg-shaker-technique-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.musicademy.com\/blog\/percussion-instruments-in-worship-two-hand-and-single-hand-egg-shaker-technique-part-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Percussion instruments in worship &#8211; two hand and single hand egg shaker technique (part 2)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><object classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"480\" height=\"390\" codebase=\"http:\/\/download.macromedia.com\/pub\/shockwave\/cabs\/flash\/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\" \/><param name=\"allowscriptaccess\" value=\"always\" \/><param name=\"src\" value=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/QtZ9myTIkNE?fs=1&amp;hl=en_GB\" \/><param name=\"allowfullscreen\" value=\"true\" \/><embed type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"480\" height=\"390\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/QtZ9myTIkNE?fs=1&amp;hl=en_GB\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"><\/embed><\/object><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u2018Play <em>skilfully<\/em> with a shout of joy\u2019. \u00a0Psalm 33 v3<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>We understand that to play with skill is to play with technique, musical knowledge, speed and dexterity, control and precision and with professional attitude.\u00a0 Great attributes to have but the word here is the Hebrew word, <em>Yatah<\/em>, and has similarities to <em>Sakal<\/em>. The translation \u2018skill\u2019 in itself however isn\u2019t enough. To play drums with Sakal is also to play with wisdom and sensitivity, not proud or showing off but with a heart that is open to the Holy Spirit, playing with obedience, passion, humility and authority.\u00a0 Drumming is a response from the heart; it should be both spontaneous and reactive. We should bear this in mind when we have the honour and privilege to worship our Father in Heaven, whether we play kit, djembe, congas or shaker.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p><strong>Advice for playing shakers<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Just start with one shaker before using two or starting to incorporate other shakers sounds<\/li>\n<li>Start with the two-handed technique: Pick up the egg and hold between two cupped hands. \u2013 your hands should interlock at 90 degree to each other. Use the middle of the palm of each hand (not the fingers) to trap the egg. Warm up first by creating the two hand shapes that will be necessary \u2013 open and closed. The open hand shape \u2013 keep pressure on the egg with both palms but now open the fingers until the hand has changed from a cup shape to completely flat. That hand shape is for your open note. Now the closed note \u2013 with the egg still trapped between your palms close your fingers back to a cupped shape. That\u2019s it! Initially you will just try open notes so fingers straight again and start by holding your hands at chest height and against your chest. Throw your both hands forward and the shaker will create a sound. The first beat is when the sound strikes and your arms are extended. Try and play from your elbow \u2013 long forward and straight motion. Pull the hands back and repeat \u2013 keep the sound even by making your arm stoke (movement) the same length and duration \u2013 try relaxing a little as you play \u2013 don\u2019t be too rigid. Try varying open and closed notes e.g. 3 closed, 1 open. The open note is then becoming the accent note.<\/li>\n<li>Single-handed technique. Pick up the egg and hold in your playing hand, Trap the egg between the ends of your middle finger and thumb along the shortest side of the egg. The egg should now be in the correct orientation for playing. This is also your open note position. Slide the egg into forward a little at the same time as wrapping your other fingers around the egg. This is your closed tone position. The trick now to revert back to the open note and to use your thumb to slide the egg back up onto the top part of your middle finger at the same time as opening your other fingers. Before playing both open and closed notes try practicing the slide transition just of the open to closed and closed to open hand shape. Your now ready to play.<\/li>\n<li>The shaking sound effect I use I call the \u2018Shimmy\u2019 and it\u2019s all in the wrist action, whilst holding the egg in the open note hand shape I rotate my wrist from side to side through about a quarter-turn. I use this just for accents, or just prior to the first beat \u2013 see video clip.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you are playing shakers in a worship band I have to make the assumption that you are being mic\u2019d. Perhaps a little obvious but if you\u2019re playing in a large church service and you\u2019re not being amplified you could be wasting your time. For smaller settings, home\/cell groups, small meetings, acoustic settings, yes great, no need for amplification. Play close to the microphone otherwise the accents and dynamics won\u2019t carry.<\/p>\n<p>It does depend a bit whether you are playing percussion with a kit player, doing both kit and percussion or playing as the solo percussionist but on most occasions I will play a 16<sup>th<\/sup> note even pattern. Tapping your foot does really help keep time and an even groove. Listen to where the accents fall within the rhythm and then start to add accents on the shaker (open note) and evolve the sound. The shaker can add real texture to the sound so experiment with the dynamics i.e. if the band volume builds and then cuts back just to the shaker to keep the rhythm going. Talk to other band members about how they can use and integrate your sounds. If you\u2019re not careful, being a small voice among electric guitars and drums your sound can get lost so pick your moments.<\/p>\n<p>If the volume increases I often switch shakers for a larger one to increase the volume or use a tambourine \u2013 usually in the chorus and then switch back to egg shaker for the verse. Did I mention that the eggs come in different colours these also denote different pitches and volume? You really have to pick the right songs, and the egg shaker won\u2019t suit them all. It certainly works well with quieter songs, worship songs that are often used for response or reflection or choruses that build musically. Happy shaking.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Other posts you might like:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.musicademy.com\/blog\/percussion-instruments-in-worship-the-shaker-egg-part-1\/\">Part 1 of Mark&#8217;s article on the shaker egg.<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;\">Percussion lesson \u2013 djembe in worship<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;\"><a style=\"outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: #ff6600; text-decoration: underline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.musicademy.com\/blog\/ask-the-expert-learning-cajon-drum\/\">Ask the Expert \u2013 Learning Cajon Drum<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;\"><strong>Other suggestions<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Psalm Drummers Association<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Heart-to-drum-book\" href=\"https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/08123313\/Heart-to-drum-book.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"attachment wp-att-5652 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/drc0fhsrp02et.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/08123313\/Heart-to-drum-book.jpg\" alt=\"Heart-to-drum-book\" width=\"124\" height=\"200\" \/><\/a>Book suggestion: A Heart to Drum by Psalm Drummer Terl Bryant<\/p>\n<p>Meinl, Toca, LP eggs available from most music shops or on-line at Amazon.<\/p>\n<p>Musicademy produces\u00a0<a style=\"outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: #ff6600; text-decoration: underline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.musicademy.com\/blog\/info\/worship-drums\/\">instructional DVDs<\/a> for Beginning Drums as well as Intermediate players which include lessons on percussion. There is also a\u00a0drum work-out CD.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u2018Play skilfully with a shout of joy\u2019. \u00a0Psalm 33 v3 We understand that to play with skill is to play with technique, musical knowledge, speed and dexterity, control and precision and with professional attitude.\u00a0 Great attributes to have but the word here is the Hebrew word, Yatah, and has similarities to Sakal. The translation \u2018skill\u2019 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5303,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[75],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Percussion instruments in worship - two hand and single hand egg shaker technique (part 2) | Musicademy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, nofollow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.musicademy.com\/blog\/percussion-instruments-in-worship-two-hand-and-single-hand-egg-shaker-technique-part-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Percussion instruments in worship - two hand and single hand egg shaker technique (part 2) | Musicademy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u2018Play skilfully with a shout of joy\u2019. \u00a0Psalm 33 v3 We understand that to play with skill is to play with technique, musical knowledge, speed and dexterity, control and precision and with professional attitude.\u00a0 Great attributes to have but the word here is the Hebrew word, Yatah, and has similarities to Sakal. 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