Customer Reviews

Hohner Kids Soprano Crow Sounder (Woodblock) with Mallet

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I used to be decidedly unmusical, couldn't hold a note, embarrassed myself when singing the National Anthem, hopeless at disco, couldn't even distinguish between keys on the piano, to me the black and the white ones looked pretty much alike. I might as well have been sitting on the keys, rather than playing them, I got the same general effect. A friend recommended joining a band, to get me out of the house at nights, and when I said I didn't know how to play any instruments he recommended the wood block.

First I acquired the regular one with the ridged edges, sort of like the old medicine pins we used to toss around in high school gym class. With these ridges you can scrape along with your rhythm stick and produce a nice funky sort of sound. (Even with your thumbs if you're not dainty about it.) But I was looking for something with a bit more pitch and when I was in the Hohner showroom I found the Soprano version of the woodblock.

It lacks the Two-Tone's serrated edges-why, it's smooth and polished as a Brancusi sculpture, and almost as beautiful. What it does have is a high ringing clear bell tone that (they tell me) will stop a bird in its flight, for its sound is so high only birds can really hear all the reverberations. They call it the "crow sounder" because of the legendary aural prowess of our old friend the crow.

Soon you'll be pounding out beats like an old school rocker. Listen to the very beginning of "Honky Tonk Women" by the Stones, you'll hear this distinctive crow sounder (+ cow bells for that down home farm effect).

The "crow sounder" makes a satisfying "TOCK!" sound when hit with a stick. If you have kids, add this to a box of percussion instruments and have them count along with their favorite music cd. This improves math abilities, and participation in music is fun for kids (and adults as well.) Even the smallest child can play the Crow Sounder.

This makes a nice softish sound and is easy for our preschool-aged children to use. But the children much prefer the other instruments we purchased--real Latin ones intended for adult use.

I really don't understand the title "soprano crow sounder"-- it really does not produce much of any type of sound. I purchased a large amount of these to be used in a classroom- I'll have to wait and see how they hold up. They are cheap and you get what you pay for.