The small Caxixi basket rattle is made of three materials: A woven conical basket, a soundboard and a filling of seeds or small stones. The basket is usually woven from reed or rattan. However, more and more 'exotic' materials such as telephone wire or nylon cord are being used. The choice of basket material determines the softness of the two sounds that can be produced by the caxixi. The loud sound is produced when the filling hits the ground. It is usually made of a round piece of calabash. Less commonly, the bottom is made of plastic or sheet metal.
Hold the caxixi loosely with your fingertips and move it back and forth with the bottom of the calabash facing forward. This produces a loud and a soft sound. This sequence can be varied by turning the rattle. If you turn the Caxixi 90 degrees, the filling only hits the basket. If you turn the Caxixi 180 degrees during the backward movement, you will get the same sound from the gourd as during the forward movement.
Different rhythms can be played by varying the sequence of movements. If you use a caxixi in each hand, the possibilities are endless. These rhythms can be particularly varied by using two caxixis of different pitches.