# Free shaker samples > Free shaker one-shots and loops: egg shakers, maracas, cabasas and rattles that add movement to house, pop and Latin beats, each with a commercial-use verdict. 15 samples from 2 sources (Strudel sample banks 14, Wikimedia Commons 1), updated 2026-10-23. Picked from a live search and refreshed daily. - Same search in the browser: https://sound.shep.bot/search?q=shaker&category=drums.perc - Same search over the API: `curl "https://sound.shep.bot/v1/search?q=shaker&category=drums.perc"` - Details, files and the credit line: `GET https://sound.shep.bot/v1/samples/{id}` with an id from the table below. - Licence verdicts: "Commercial use OK" (with or without credit) is cleared for a release; anything else must be checked or is non-commercial. See https://sound.shep.bot/docs/licences.md ## The sixteenth-note glue A shaker plays the fast subdivisions that a drummer's hi-hat might otherwise cover, but softer and with more grain. In house and pop it often runs as straight sixteenths under the hats; in Latin and afro styles it carries a swung pattern that defines the groove. Shakers are among the easiest instruments to record cleanly, so the free libraries hold good egg shakers, maracas, cabasas and seed rattles. ## Programming tips Alternate a strong and a weak sample on every other sixteenth, and add a little swing, around 54 to 58 percent in most drum machines. Pan the shaker slightly off-centre, opposite the hi-hat. If it gets harsh, a low-pass around 10 to 12 kHz softens it without losing its rhythm. Because the attack of a shaker is soft, nudge the samples a few milliseconds early if they feel late against the kick. ## Samples | Sample | id | What | Source | Licence | Commercial use | Direct download | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [VCSL · shaker_large · 0](https://github.com/sgossner/VCSL/blob/master/Idiophones/Struck%20Idiophones/Shaker%2C%20Large/LShaker_Hit_rr1_Mid.wav) | `strudel:vcsl/shaker_large/0` | Percussion, MIDI | Strudel sample banks | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes | | [VCSL · shaker_large · 1](https://github.com/sgossner/VCSL/blob/master/Idiophones/Struck%20Idiophones/Shaker%2C%20Large/LShaker_Hit_rr2_Mid.wav) | `strudel:vcsl/shaker_large/1` | Percussion, MIDI | Strudel sample banks | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes | | [VCSL · shaker_large · 2](https://github.com/sgossner/VCSL/blob/master/Idiophones/Struck%20Idiophones/Shaker%2C%20Large/LShaker_Shake1D_rr2_Mid.wav) | `strudel:vcsl/shaker_large/2` | Percussion, MIDI | Strudel sample banks | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes | | [Eggshaker Solo](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eggshaker_Solo.ogg) | `wikimediacommons:Eggshaker_Solo.ogg` | Percussion, 59 s | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Restricted: read the conditions | yes | | [VCSL · shaker_large · 3](https://github.com/sgossner/VCSL/blob/master/Idiophones/Struck%20Idiophones/Shaker%2C%20Large/LShaker_Shake1D_rr3_Mid.wav) | `strudel:vcsl/shaker_large/3` | Percussion, MIDI | Strudel sample banks | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes | | [VCSL · shaker_large · 4](https://github.com/sgossner/VCSL/blob/master/Idiophones/Struck%20Idiophones/Shaker%2C%20Large/LShaker_Shake1U_rr1_Mid.wav) | `strudel:vcsl/shaker_large/4` | Percussion, MIDI | Strudel sample banks | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes | | [VCSL · shaker_large · 5](https://github.com/sgossner/VCSL/blob/master/Idiophones/Struck%20Idiophones/Shaker%2C%20Large/LShaker_Shake1U_rr4_Mid.wav) | `strudel:vcsl/shaker_large/5` | Percussion, MIDI | Strudel sample banks | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes | | [VCSL · shaker_small · 0](https://github.com/sgossner/VCSL/blob/master/Idiophones/Struck%20Idiophones/Shaker%2C%20Small/Mid_ShakerDouble_Down_rr1.wav) | `strudel:vcsl/shaker_small/0` | Percussion, MIDI | Strudel sample banks | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes | | [VCSL · shaker_small · 1](https://github.com/sgossner/VCSL/blob/master/Idiophones/Struck%20Idiophones/Shaker%2C%20Small/Mid_ShakerDouble_Down_rr2.wav) | `strudel:vcsl/shaker_small/1` | Percussion, MIDI | Strudel sample banks | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes | | [VCSL · shaker_small · 2](https://github.com/sgossner/VCSL/blob/master/Idiophones/Struck%20Idiophones/Shaker%2C%20Small/Mid_ShakerDouble_Up_rr1.wav) | `strudel:vcsl/shaker_small/2` | Percussion, MIDI | Strudel sample banks | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes | | [VCSL · shaker_small · 3](https://github.com/sgossner/VCSL/blob/master/Idiophones/Struck%20Idiophones/Shaker%2C%20Small/Mid_ShakerDouble_Up_rr2.wav) | `strudel:vcsl/shaker_small/3` | Percussion, MIDI | Strudel sample banks | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes | | [VCSL · shaker_small · 4](https://github.com/sgossner/VCSL/blob/master/Idiophones/Struck%20Idiophones/Shaker%2C%20Small/Mid_ShakerHighFaster_Down_rr1.wav) | `strudel:vcsl/shaker_small/4` | Percussion, MIDI | Strudel sample banks | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes | | [VCSL · shaker_small · 5](https://github.com/sgossner/VCSL/blob/master/Idiophones/Struck%20Idiophones/Shaker%2C%20Small/Mid_ShakerHighFaster_Down_rr2.wav) | `strudel:vcsl/shaker_small/5` | Percussion, MIDI | Strudel sample banks | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes | | [VCSL · shaker_small · 6](https://github.com/sgossner/VCSL/blob/master/Idiophones/Struck%20Idiophones/Shaker%2C%20Small/Mid_ShakerHighFaster_Up_rr1.wav) | `strudel:vcsl/shaker_small/6` | Percussion, MIDI | Strudel sample banks | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes | | [VCSL · shaker_small · 7](https://github.com/sgossner/VCSL/blob/master/Idiophones/Struck%20Idiophones/Shaker%2C%20Small/Mid_ShakerHighFaster_Up_rr2.wav) | `strudel:vcsl/shaker_small/7` | Percussion, MIDI | Strudel sample banks | CC0 1.0 | Commercial use OK | yes | ## Questions **Should I use a shaker loop or one-shots?** A recorded loop has the natural push and pull of a real player, which is hard to program. One-shots give you control over the pattern and tempo. A common approach is a loop for feel, with one-shot accents on top. **Why does my shaker sound unnatural when programmed?** A real shaker has two sounds, the forward and backward stroke, with different weights. Use two samples (or the same one at two velocities) and alternate them, accenting the beats. ## Related collections - [Free percussion samples](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-percussion-samples.md): Free percussion one-shots and hits: congas, bongos, cowbells, tambourines, woodblocks and more, for Latin, afro, house and hip hop, with licence verdicts. - [Free hi-hat samples](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-hi-hat-samples.md): Free closed and open hi-hat samples for programming grooves, from crisp drum machine hats to acoustic cymbals, each with a preview and licence verdict. - [Free open hi-hat samples](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-open-hi-hat-samples.md): Free open hi-hat one-shots, from tight half-open barks to long washy sizzles, for house, disco, trap and breaks, with a licence verdict on every sound. - [Free clap samples](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-clap-samples.md): Free hand clap and snap samples, from stacked crowd claps to tight drum machine claps, ready to layer with snares, each with a licence verdict and preview. - [Free breakbeats and drum breaks](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-breakbeats.md): Free drum breaks and breakbeat loops for jungle, drum and bass, hip hop and breaks, with tempo where known and a licence verdict, including cleared breaks. - [Free crash cymbal samples](https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-crash-cymbal-samples.md): Free crash cymbal one-shots, from short trashy splashes to long cinematic crashes, to mark the start of a section, each with a preview and licence verdict. --- Source: https://sound.shep.bot/samples/free-shaker-samples