Making music can be a great way to express yourself, and you don’t need to go out and buy expensive instruments to do it. You can make some of your instruments right at home! Making a homemade instrument is an excellent way to explore music and unleash your creativity.
These are some of the musical instruments you can make at home to get started. Pick one appropriate to your skill level, and don’t forget to have fun!
Bucket Drumming
All you need for this one are a few empty buckets, gallon paint cans (the bigger, the better!), and some drumsticks or wooden spoons. You can find everything else you need lying around the house—rubber bands for creating tension in the buckets, old fabric for muffling sound, and pieces of cardboard or plastic lids to use as cymbals. Once you’ve assembled your makeshift drum set, it’s time to experiment with different rhythms and beats!
Resonator Guitar
Have an empty oatmeal container laying around? You can turn it into a resonator guitar! First, cut off one side of the container (or two if the sides are curved). Then use markers or paints to decorate it however you like. Cut a dowel slightly longer than the container’s width and attach it across one end of the container using glue. Stretch rubber bands across the dowel rod and tune them like strings on a guitar. Finally, add some felt or foam padding on each end so that it won’t slip away while you play!
Papier Mache Maracas
Papier mache is usually associated with art projects, but did you know you can also use it to create musical instruments? To make maracas, fill two plastic cups about 2/3 full with dried beans, rice, or beads. Cover each cup completely with tape so that nothing spills out when shaken. Then, cover both cups in papier mache strips made from newspaper soaked in a glue and water mixture until they’re completely covered. Once dry, decorate them however you like before adding handles made from more papier mache strips wrapped around popsicle sticks!
There are so many fun ways to make music without spending money! Whether it’s bucket drumming, making a resonator guitar out of an oatmeal container, or creating maracas from papier mache, you can help students understand the science of music from home. Just remember that making music should always be fun. Don’t forget to take breaks and enjoy yourself as much as possible! Try out these DIY musical instruments today!
