Claves

(Sp.).

Concussion idiophones of Cuban origin consisting of two cylindrical hardwood sticks measuring from 20 to 25 cm in length and from 2·5 to 3 cm in diameter. In Latin-American dance rhythms, particularly the rumba, the steady and unchangeable beat of the claves constitutes a relentless ostinato. To obtain the required clear and penetrating tone, one stick rests lightly on the fingertips of one hand with the cupped palm acting as a resonator, while the other stick (the striker) is held between the thumb and first two fingers.

Although primarily an instrument of the Latin-American dance orchestra, claves have been adopted in Western rhythm combinations and by notable composers. They are included in Ionisation (Varèse); Sinfonía india (Chávez); Copland’s Third Symphony and Appalachian Spring; Ode an den Westwind (Henze); and in the charade Time Off? Not a Ghost of a Chance! by Elisabeth Lutyens.

JAMES BLADES