Make Your Own Musical Instruments

Does the thought of spending hard-earned money on an piece of entertainment make you cringe? Then, why not make your own entertainment with a Do-it-Yourself instrument. Creations run the gamut from rubber-band guitars to oatmeal box drums. Though I haven't made my own instruments as of yet, I have scoured the Internet for two of the best.

Finger Piano

A finger piano, otherwise known as Mbira in Zimbabwean music, is a board with metal keys attached to it. Most homemade instruments only play one note. This instrument plays scales. It's also ridiculously simple, a requirement for things I make. All that's needed to make one of these are bobby pins, pliers, A large staple gun (with staples), plywood, and a hammer.

Break three bobby pins in half with the pliers to make six keys. Make sure each pin has a rubber end on one side and a sharp metal tip on the other. Now, staple the metal side of one pin to the left end of the plywood. Staple it twice at the sharp metal edge and be sure that the rubber end has space to move. If both ends move, use the hammer to be sure that the metal end is secured better. Start stapling pins from left to right, positioning the staples closer to the rubber end as you go. A good rule of thumb (piano!) is that staples located halfway down the pin are the farthest you should go. Make it your last pin.

Now, play it like a piano! If you want the sound to be louder, play it on Styrofoam or cardboard.

Garden Hose Trumpet

According to The American Heritage Dictionary, a trumpet is defined as "a long metal tube looped once and ending in a flared bell." Contrary to what you might thing, a garden hose is great at being a long metal tube, so why not use it for a trumpet?

For this, you need three feet of garden hose, a funnel for liquids, and some strong tape. I recommend duct tape. Insert the small end of the funnel into one end of the hose. Wrap tape around this intersection to ensure that it will stay. Now, make a single loop with the hose. You should leave about two inches on the side that doesn't have the funnel. Tighten the position of the loop with tape.

Now, you should have a fully functioning trumpet! Make sure to blow through the side without the funnel. As a little tip, the larger the funnel, the larger the sound will be.

Good luck with these contraptions! I for one will definitely be investigating more homemade instruments.

Sources:

Make Your Own Finger Piano/Bobby Piano: http://www.home.earthlink.net/~graypoodles/tp.html
Wikipedia entry on Mbira: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mbira
Maya & Miguel Hose Trumpet Printable Instructions: http://pbskids.org/mayaandmiguel/english/print/hosetrumpet.html
Answers.com entry on Trumpets: http://www.answers.com/trumpet?cat=technology&gwp=13