Articles on Musical Instruments | Topics: instruments, instrument
by Xander Andrews
To make great music, you do not need to be a professional musician. There are no lessons needed, or long hours of practice. Not only can you make music, you can make your own musical instruments. Amaze your family and friends with your creative talent. Consider making,
Finger Cymbals: from baby jar lids, elastic, and something to put holes in through the lids.
Humming Flute: can be easily made from the cardboard toilet tissue roll
Jingle Bell Mitt is something your child will love the noise they can make with gloves you no longer use
Musical Bottle is a lot like a maraca rattle you can use any type of soda bottle
Oatmeal Can Drum: you can mike this even if you do not eat oatmeal I am sure you can find some type of item you can turn into a drum
Paper Plate Tambourine: your child will have fun decorating the plates as they want and have some dried beans handy and you will be on your way to making music
Kazoo: you should not throw away those used cardboard toilet paper roll and a rubber band and you will soon be making music
Balloon Tom-Tom: You will need the following supplies:
Oatmeal box or a container of this shape
Two large balloons
Two heavy rubber bands
Two pencils with erasers
To begin, open both ends of the container you have chosen (this is for the body of the drum). Cut a small end off the balloons (not the closed end). You will use for the "skin" of the drum. Once you have cut the small end of the balloons, stretch it over the container. You will then use the rubber bands to hold the balloon in place. You do not want any wrinkles on the surface so smooth it out. Do the same for the other container. Now hand those pencils (not sharpened) to your child and let the music begin.
Xylo-drum: You will need the following supplies:
A container of your choice for the body of the drum
Styrofoam cup that will fit securely inside the body of the drum
Rubber band
Three to six nails that are of varying sizes
Duct tape
A stick
Follow the same directions as you did for the Balloon Tom-Tom, although you only need to use one drum instead of two. Now take the nails the shortest to the longest and press them through the rim of the Styrofoam cup. It is important that they do not touch each other. Place the base of the cup into the body of the drum and tape it into place with the duct tape. Now you make the striker by taping a nail to the end of the stick – music time.
| Historical Quote |
The universe appears to me like an immense, inexorable torture-garden.... Passions, greed, hatred, and lies; law, social institutions, justice, love, glory, heroism, and religion: these are its monstrous flowers and its hideous instruments of eternal human suffering.
| —Octave Mirbeau (1850–1917) |
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Coffee Can Bongos: The supplies you will need:
Two coffee cans that are different sizes (keep the lids)
Two wing nuts
Two bolts
Open both ends of the coffee cans. When you have done this, take a nail and punch two holes in each can. The lines should be in a straight-line one on top of the other. It will be important to line them up so that the bolts can go from one can to the other. (Especially since, they are of different sizes). Now put the bolts through the holes and add the wing nuts securing them. If you want, you can decorate the body of the drums. When you are, done take the lids and use them for the heads of the drums. Time to slap your hands to the beat of your own music.
Mouth Drum: Supplies you will need:
Mouth
Hands
Open your mouth slightly, now lightly hit your cheeks with your open hands. This will work best when your hands are straight and not curved and your fingers are together. You can change the position of your mouth to create different sounds. Do not hit your cheeks hard – you are having fun not trying to cause harm.
Pan Drum: The supplies you will need:
Several cardboard tubes that vary in lengths (make sure they are of the same diameter
Stiff transparent paper
Glue
Model airplane lacquer
If you want to decorate the tubes, do so now. You will make the drumheads out the transparent paper so cut that now and glue it to each tube. When the glue dries, it is time to treat each drumhead with the lacquer. The reason you are using the lacquer is to create tension in the drumhead. Once the lacquer is dry, connect the drums using rubber bands, glue, or whatever you have handy.
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Please note: All personal opinions expressed in the "Making your Own Instruments for Small Children" article belong to the contributing author and are not necessarily shared by MusicInstrumentsCds.com. |
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