Musical Spoons

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Two silver-plated soup spoons with red pencil grips on them

The Musical spoons have been a part of many different cultures around the world for thousands of years, probably because that is what people had lying around! They can be used to make music in a variety of styles and can be made of metal, wood, or plastic. In my experience, they sound and play significantly better if you whisper compliments to them when nobody is looking.

How to Obtain

Musical spoons can be found in your kitchen, at your local thrift store, or in most antique stores. Ideal spoons for music-making have a flat, wide handle for easier control, and they are not too big for your hand. Soup spoons and silver-plated spoons tend to produce a deep, marble-like sound that I find particularly desirable. Pencil grips can stabilize your grip of the spoons, especially when your fingers get sweaty after playing for a while.

How to Learn

See the below step-by-step guide! Also, watch Youtube videos and practice by playing along with songs you like that have a strong beat. Try focusing on playing patterns with the spoons that repeat.

How to Hold and Play the Musical Spoons

Lower spoon
- With your dominant hand, make a fist (with the thumb resting on top) angled so that the fist is facing forward.
- Insert the lower spoon upside down between forefinger and middle finger, so that it is pointed to the left.
- Forefinger & middle finger should be curled so that the finger tips are touching (and also stabilizing) the spoon
Upper spoon
- Place spoon right-side-up between the thumb and forefinger
- Spoon should be pointing in the same direction as the lower spoon
- Forefinger curled so that the thumb (and fingertip) control the angle of the spoon

Check Yourself!!
- There should be a small space between the two spoons that remains constant
- The grip should be tight enough to hold the spoons in place when you move your hand, but not so tight that it feels like you are clenching your fist.
Movement
- Sit with your legs in front of you, holding spoons in your dominant hand
- Hold spoons between your non-dominant thigh and your flat, palm-down, non-dominant hand.
- Spoons strike downward (against leg) and upward (against non-dominant hand)
- When struck, spoons will “click” and then immediately return to the resting position (with a small space between them).