Making Musical Instruments



To Make Pan Pipes

Materials:
drinking straws
scissors
tape

Directions:
1. Use the scissors to cut straws in different lengths.
2. Lay the straws side-by-side on a table and
tape them together.
3. Pick the pan pipes up and blow gently across
the top of each straw to make a sound.
 
 
 

___________________________________________________

To Make a Slide Whistle 

Materials:
A length of metal pipe
A wooden dowel

Directions:
1. Pick a wooden dowel that is almost the same width as the pipe.
2. Slide the dowel into the pipe.
3. Blow gently across the top of the pipe.
4. Move the dowel up and down the pipe while
blowing to change the pitch of the sound.
 
 

To Make a Drum

Materials:
Tin can with both ends removed.
Two balloons
Two rubber bands
Scissors
Stick

Directions:
1. Cut off the necks of two balloons.
2. Stretch a balloon tight over the end of a can.
Have a group member help secure it with a rubber band.
3. Stretch a balloon over the other end of the can.
Have a group member help secure it with
a rubber band, too.
4. Use your finger tips or a stick to play the drum.
 
 

___________________________________________________

To Make Maracas 

Materials:
Two paper cups
Handful of lentils or beans
Tape

Directions:
1. Choose two paper cups of the same size.
2. Put a handful of lentils or beans into one of the cups.
3. Turn the other cup upside down and
tape the two cups together, rim to rim.
 

To Make a Guitar 

Materials:
A box
Six rubberbands
A piece of cardboard
Scissors

Directions:
1. Cut a large hole in the lid of a box.
2. Stretch six rubber bands around the box. Make sure
the rubber bands are not touching each other
and that they pass over the sound hole.
3. Use a piece of cardboard as a bridge to lift the
rubber bands away from the box just above the sound hole.
4. Pluck the rubber bands where they pass over the hole.
Pluck them one at a time or strum them.
 
 

__________________________________________________________________
 

To Make Jug Pipes 

Materials:
Plastic soda bottles of various sizes
Masking tape

Directions:
1. Choose two soda bottles of different sizes.
2. Place the bottles side by side and tape them together.
3. Blow across the top of one bottle and then two times
quickly over the other bottle to make an "um-pa-pa" sound.