What are some ideas for improvised musical instruments?
So last night one of my old musical projects was re-invented and brought back from the grave as a lo-fi/electropop/garage rock outfit when my good friend and I got together and started writing music.
We use a lot of weird instrumentation as of now: toy accordions, kazoos, shakers made out of water bottles filled with beads, etc. We want to stick with this kind of instrumentation and I’m interested in experimenting with home-made musical instruments. I’ve already built a cigar-box banjo and a few shakers, but I’m interested in things I can do that are a little more out of the box, so to speak.
What do you suggest, Fluther?
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24 Answers
You could always look into fiddling with electronics and creating something like the MIDI Fighter. Technically, it’s just a midi controller and not really an instrument, but they can certainly be played like one.
Have you a wash tub bass?
@dverhey I like that. I was actually thinking about getting into circuit-bending, which is slightly related, I suppose.
@Russell_D_SpacePoet no, but I LOVE that idea.
Those big 25 lbs plastic cat litter tubs upended make great drums. And you can take the handle off and and fashion a harness for them out of rope, using the holes, to hang them around your neck in case y’all want to become a marching band. :-)
@lillycoyote I didn’t even think of that, but I love that idea. I’ll give it a shot!
- Glass bottles vessels with different levels of water. You could use old medical supplies like beakers and test tubes.
- Balloons stretched over jars.
- Tubes filled with rice or beans. Pierced with toothpicks for a makeshift rainmaker.
- Steal a xylophone from a kid.
- Most definitely get one of these.
@lillycoyote that is fantastic. I’m definitely inspired.
@Nimis oh my god, that music box kit is fantastic! Especially since I recently learned that my electric guitar pickups amplify the sound of music boxes when you put the workings within the magnetic field and let them run. This sounds awesome with reverb set really high.
Sounds like a good ole Skiffle band to me, yee hah!
Any old hose can be either blown into….requires a good set of lungs…..or alternatively, swung around the head resulting in a, well….interesting tone.
@ucme cool, I have never heard of that, but it makes sense because a lot of our stuff is bluegrass-influenced. I’ll give it a shot, I’m up for pretty much anything.
@ucme ok those guys are awesome. I need to definitely try that, now!
Yeah, i’ve always fancied myself as a bit of a drummer, who needs a kit….or the talent!
PVC pipes, like the Blue Man Group uses. Any type of pipes, actually—copper, galvanized, and at different thicknesses and lengths.
A full ring of old skeleton keys.
Sheets of galvanized metal (like used for roofs of barns)
Different types of wire stretched tight at different lengths- not just piano wire, but different types.
Washboard and thimbles :)
You’d be amazed what kind of sound you can get with an empty Doritos bag and a hot condenser mic.
pigface did it for years
@linguaphile i’ve considered making a copper pipe xylophone of sorts. I’m definitely going to add that to my repertoire.
@redfeather I like it. :)
@Blondesjon whoa, that’s interesting. My singer has a condenser mic. I’ll see what I can do.
@obvek now that’s just awesome. I am really impressed by the carrot flute.
@lucillelucillelucille that guy sold me. I’m making one :D
What kinda music? I wanna hear some kind of techno/zydeco hybrid lol
And here are a couple more fun ones. The Balloon Bass and here are plans for building a Canjo.
Great question. I’m enjoying this.
Of course, peanuts can make a humorous yet musical alternative :¬D
I posted something someone else did—- oops.
Just watched the Crossmen (marching band) practice and will go to the Twin Cities tomorrow to watch the Drum Corps International’s big competition. These guys play the xylophone with four, not two, mallets each.
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