Seeing and hearing

Choosing a model

Musical spoons come in many shapes and sizes. Several factors influence the sound the spoons make, as well as how easy it is to play them.

Dimensions of spoons and resonance box

The larger the box, the lower the tone, and vice versa.

Smaller spoons are more "nervous" than larger ones, allowing faster, more voluble playing. They are easier to handle and play.

Spoon size is also related to hand size: a small hand will indeed have more difficulty playing large spoons and will feel much more comfortable playing a smaller model.

We always recommend beginners and children to start with a pair of small spoons. Mastery will be that much easier and quicker.

The position of the spoons in relation to each other

Back-to-back spoons emit a drier, punchier sound. This is the most widespread and widely used model.

The sound can be modulated by opening or closing the resonance box with the hand not holding the handle. This way of playing is very popular when you want to obtain a greater variety of sounds with the same instrument.
The face-to-face spoons can be presented in two different ways: with a closed or open resonance box.

With the resonance box closed, you get a deeper, muffled sound.
It is not possible with this model to modulate the sound by opening/closing the box, but this disadvantage is advantageously offset by the quality of a velvety, melodious sound.
With the resonance box open, the sound is much clearer and sharper.
On this model, the sound can be modulated by opening or closing the box with the hand.

Sound reverberation surface

Spoons with a larger surface area for reverberating sound vibrations will have a more intense, punchy sound.

Other factors influencing the sound of spoons

The sound emitted by spoons of the same model may vary slightly.
This may be due to differences in the structure of the wood, which influences its sound qualities.
Spoons are not made by a mechanical process that would make them all exactly the same. On the contrary, they are handcrafted and, even if several machines are involved in their manufacture, no one spoon is an exact replica of another, so their sound may vary slightly.

Doesn't the artisan's hand always leave its imprint on the objects it shapes?

Spoon vocabulary