Unconventional Xylophones You Can Make at Home
Creating a DIY xylophone can be a great way to explore your creativity while making music using everyday materials. The beauty of DIY xylophones is that they can be made from a variety of materials, from simple plastic bottles to more complex designs like the slaphaphone. The possibilities are endless, and the results can be surprisingly musical. With some basic knowledge of musical notes and a few common household tools, you can easily create a unique and functional instrument that is both fun and rewarding to play. So, whether you're a seasoned musician or a beginner looking for a new hobby, consider making your own DIY xylophone for a fun and engaging musical experience.
Thongophone
The Thongophone is a percussion instrument that is found primarily in rural Papua New Guinea. It is a unique instrument that has gained popularity in Western music due to its use by musicians such as Yanni and Blue Man Group.
The thongophone produces sound by striking a rubber clapper, often a thong, against the opening of PVC pipes of varying lengths. The tubes, arranged in a system that resembles a pipe organ, resonate to a preset pitch and create the sound. In standard thongophones, each tube has a set pitch, but the variable pitch thongophone, also known as the drumbone, is notable for its use by Blue Man Group.
The thongophone can be played with drumsticks or other solid objects to create resonance in the tubes. This versatility, combined with its unique sound, makes the thongophone a popular choice for musicians seeking to add a new dimension to their music.
Pipe Xylophone
A xylophone made of pipes is a musical instrument that uses a series of hollow tubes, typically made of metal or PVC, to produce musical notes. Each pipe is tuned to a specific pitch by adjusting its length, and they are arranged in a row from longest to shortest. When struck with a mallet or beater, the pipes vibrate and produce a musical tone. The length of the pipe determines the pitch of the note, with longer pipes producing lower notes and shorter pipes producing higher notes.
DIY Metal Tube Xylophone
A DIY metal tube xylophone is a percussion instrument made of metal tubes of different lengths that are tuned to specific pitches. The tubes are typically made of aluminum or copper, which are durable and produce clear and bright tones.
To make a DIY metal tube xylophone, you will need to start by selecting the appropriate tubes. You can find these at a hardware or home improvement store, or you can repurpose metal pipes or tubing that you may already have on hand.
Once you have your tubes, you will need to cut them to specific lengths using a hacksaw or other metal-cutting tool. The length of each tube will determine its pitch, so you will need to tune each tube using a chromatic tuner or pitch pipe to ensure that it produces the correct note.
Next, you will need to arrange the tubes in the proper order to create a scale. This can be done by mounting the tubes on a wooden frame or base, or by suspending them from a metal bar or wire.
To play this percussion instrument, you will need to use mallets or drumsticks to strike the tubes. You can create a range of tones by hitting the tubes at different points, from the center to the edges, or by varying the force and speed of your strikes.
Kitchen Utensil Xylophone: For a playful and whimsical instrument, you can use everyday kitchen utensils like spoons, forks, and spatulas to create a makeshift xylophone. By attaching the utensils to a wooden frame or board and striking them with a mallet or other object, you can produce a range of clanging and tinkling sounds that are perfect for a quirky musical performance.
Wine Glass Xylophone: For a more delicate and ethereal sound, you can use wine glasses of different sizes and fill them with varying amounts of water to produce different pitches. By tapping the glasses with a spoon or mallet, you can create a musical scale that sounds like chimes or bells.
Bicycle Wheel Xylophone: If you have an old bicycle wheel lying around, you can turn it into a unique percussion instrument
Wood Block Xylophone: Using different sizes and types of wood blocks, cut to specific dimensions and arranged in a certain order, you can create a xylophone that produces warm and resonant tones. The blocks can be mounted on a frame or suspended from a wooden bar, and played with mallets or drumsticks.
Picture from instructables.com