Avoid spoons with handles that narrow toward the end opposite the cup of the spoon. Soup spoons are an excellent option and create a great tone. Silver spoons might work to accompany certain kinds of music, but these are generally too high pitched and ring too much to work well with most tunes.
Bounce your right hand between your left hand and your leg to create a clapping sound and get used to the motion used to play the spoons. Advanced spoon-players add a flourish to their routine by moving their spoons and left hand around their body. This can have a slight influence on tone, but is largely for show.
Another pattern you might want to try with your hands: bounce your hand off your leg and up into your non-dominant hand in a short-short-long-short pattern. Repeat this several times until it feels natural. [1] X Research source
Your pointer finger should curl into a fist, so the end of that finger can hold the flared end of the handle of the spoon, trapping it in place. Your thumb will cover the top of the handle of the spoon. Your spoon should cross the knuckle about a half inch or so from the back of the handle of the spoon.
This spoon should also cross the middle knuckle of your middle finger about an inch or from the backmost part of the handle. [3] X Research source
Your spoons should be parallel at all times. If your spoons wobble out of line with each other, they will not play properly. Depending on the shape and curvature of your spoons, you may have to adjust the point the spoons cross your middle knuckle on both your pointer and middle fingers.
Correct insufficient gaps between your spoons by moving each deeper into your grip. [5] X Research source [6] X Research source
As you practice, your hands will become more comfortable with this position and holding the spoons tightly will become easier. [7] X Research source
Remember that your left hand should be about 5 inches or so above your leg.
Striking the tip of your spoons up into your left hand or down into your leg will create a lighter, brighter sound in your spoons. Hitting the cup of your spoon up into your left hand or down into your leg will creates a stronger, more accented sound.
This posture will help prevent you from hitting too much of the cup of the spoon, creating a louder clacking. [8] X Research source
As you become more comfortable, try different patterns. You might try only accenting the third beat, or the first and fourth beats. Turn on some of your favorite music and follow the beat as you play your spoons. Keep in sync with the music while alternating your strikes.
Your roll should cascade from one finger to another evenly to create a metered rhythm in your roll. Keep a consistent speed as you drag your spoons down our splayed fingers. If your roll isn’t working well, or the individual beats of the roll are indistinct, it’s likely your spoons are too close together. Pull your spoons deeper into your grip to correct this.
Your curled fingers should not move at this point. A stationary C-shape works best for beginners learning the gallop roll. Due to the pronounced nature of this rhythm, you’ll likely only want to use this move as a flourish. [11] X Research source
Bounce the cup of your spoons between the corner of your mouth and the flat, palm side of your left hand. Adjust your mouth shape as you do to create variation in the sound of the spoons. Due to individual differences in mouth shape, the sound produced by this move can vary considerably. [13] X Research source
