Music is made using the txalaparta by having one or more performers (known as "txalapartariak" 'txalaparta players' or "jotzaileak" 'beaters' in Basque or "txalapartaris" in Spanish) produce differing rhythms, playing with wood knots and spots of the boards for different tones. Nowadays the boards have often been arranged to play notes and even melody along the lines of the score, which may on the one hand further widen for the txalapartaris the possibilities to sophisticate the music. On the other hand, some txalaparta players rule out this novelty as alien to the instrument, essentially rhythmical.