Homemade Instruments!

Carol Greene has been writing to the music-for-children list about "Thunkers." Thunkers are made from thin plastic, such as golf tubes.

Carol has a set of drainage pipes, which she calls "Boom Pipes." They can be blown across the top, they can be laid on foam and struck with mallets, or they can be bounced on carpet squares.

Carol says, "You get extra resonance by bouncing them next to a tree. You can raise the pitch of a boom pipe by pouring water inside."

Carol offers these instructions for us:

Materials:

For two contra bass octaves plus the two lowest notes,

17 pipes from A to C,

purchase 5 drain pipes (white outside, black inside, without holes)

1 - 3-inch pipe & 4 - 4-inch pipes 12 - 4" drain caps & 5 - 3" drain caps

Instructions:

1.Before cutting, find the total length of the tubes you wish to cut, and add them up so that you will minimize waste in each 10 foot pipe. 2.From the 4-inch pipe cut:

E = 19 inches

D = 22 inches

C = 24 3/4 inches

B = 26 1/4 inches

A = 29 1/2 inches

G = 33 1/2 inches

F = 37 3/4 inches

E = 40 1/2 inches

D = 45 inches

C = 50 1/2 inches

B = 55 inches

A = 61 inches

3.From the 3-inch pipe cut:

C = 11 1/4 inches

B = 12 3/4 inches

A = 14 3/8 inches

G = 16 inches

F = 18 1/14 inches

If a pipe is slightly flat in pitch, cut only 1/4 inch off at a time. All octaves should definitely agree in pitch; for example, all C's should agree.

4.Place a cap on the end of each pipe.

5.To play a pipe, place both hands around the pipe and bounce the capped end upon a carpet piece. The low tones resonate beautifully.

Carol hopes this will inspire you to "jump-start" your student's imagination. If you discover any new ideas for constructing some exotic new musical instruments, she would love to hear from you.

More on Thunkers

MORE HOMEMADE INSTRUMENTS

Thomas Robertson shares with us his instructions for getting all five notes of the pentatonic scale on a set of very primitive brass instruments at these locations: