Play Along Shekere

It's time to get shakin' with your new shekere! Learn how to play your newly made instrument with a little help from musician Dave Jadico!

Empty plastic jug
String
Scissors
Sticky foam
Colorful wooden beads
Plastic tape
Clear tape

REMEMBER THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO ALWAYS WORK UNDER ADULT SUPERVISION. SOMETIMES WE USE THINGS THAT CAN BE HARMFUL, LIKE SCISSORS, SO DON'T EVER ATTEMPT TO MAKE THESE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS ALONE.

1. Cut off about three feet of string and tie two knots at the end. Be sure to leave some excess “tail” past the knots since this where you’ll have to tie the other end when you’re finished.
2. Place some clear tape around the other end of the string and twist it to make a point. This will make it easier to thread the string through your beads as well as keep it from fraying.
3. Thread a bead onto the string. Bring it all the way down against your knots and then make another knot in the string about half an inch up from the bead. This will give your bead room to move around when you shake your shekere.
4. Thread more beads on to the string just like you did for the first one. Bring each one down against the next knot in line and tie another knot a ½ inch up from it. Try to use different colored beads to make the string really decorative. Bead the string until the beaded portion is as long as your plastic jug (the body of your shekere) is tall.
5. Repeat steps 1-4 six more times so you have seven beaded strings total.
6. Cut off another two feet of string. Apply tape to one end and tie two knots at the other end just like you did for the other pieces of string.
7. Thread about 12 beads onto this string (enough to make a small circle). Thread them together side by side with no knots in between.
8. Double knot the ends of beaded string together to make a circle and cut off the excess.
9. Take the first of your seven beaded strings at the tail you created with its first knot. Bring it one bead past your beaded circle and wrap it around a few times. Tie a knot to secure it around the circle. Do this with the rest of the strings all the way around the circle. Try to space them out around the circle so they don’t bunch.
10. Lay your beads out like a spider, with the circle in the middle and the string parts all spread out around it. Place the base of your jug over the center circle and attach the end of each string to the sides of your jug using tape all the way around. Be sure to leave some slack in each string so they can move and make noise against the jug when you shake it.
11. Decorate the rest of the jug however you want using sticky foam. Cut out different shapes in different colors, remove the backing, and stick them all over your jug.
12. Just give your shekere a good shake to make music!