The güira (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈɡwiɾa]) is a metal scraper from the Dominican Republic used as a percussion instrument in merengue and, to a lesser extent, other genres such as bachata. It is made of a metal sheet (commonly steel, sometimes from a five-gallon oil can) and played with a stiff brush, thus being similar to the Cuban guayo (also a metal scraper) and the güiro (a gourd scraper). Güira, guayo and güiro all have a function akin to that of the maracas or the trap-kit's hi-hat, namely providing a complementary beat.