Trivia
Shakers for drum-less songs

Some songs do not have drum parts, and yet when playing live, most drummers want to play along in some fashion. One solution is to use shakers and other so-called idiophones. These are usually small and are easily carried in a drumstick case.

There are many types of shakers, from basic to colorful egg-shaped models. These egg shakers are highly recommended because they are light and inexpensive. They look like toys for children, but they have a nice sound. The materials used vary by manufacturer, and so their tonal qualities vary widely, but even products from one manufacturer have slightly different sounds, so you should try them out at the store before buying. These small instruments are not very loud, so, to increase their volume, you can hold two in one hand, or even three in each hand if you like. There are also shakers shaped humorously like vegetables.
The top two in the photograph are standard shakers that are loud and produce different sounds when shaken long-ways or sideways.