Cajons

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The Cajon, sometimes spelt Cahon, is a south American percussion instrument which originated in Peru by slaves in the 18th century. It is traditionally a six sided wooden box with a sound hole cut in one of the faces. The Cajon is played by sitting on the top surface and slapping the front or back surface with hands or fingers. Players often use implements such as brushes or soft mallets to strike the playing surface to offer a wider range of sounds. Contemporary Cajons will often have a snare wire similar to the snare drum attached to the interior which offers a soft rattling sound when the instrument is struck. As well as this players will also use a pedal to play the instrument.