Make Your Own Instruments (Part 2) - Tubes , Pipes and Carrot Sticks

I've been searching the net for some how-to's on making your own homemade musical instruments. Some of my finds have been really eye-opening. Apart from the carrot panpipes and broccoli ocarinas (see here), there are some stuff that are really worth trying out. Imagine having a set of Irish whistles (including the low whistles which easily cost over 100 USD each) for just a few dollars and a little craftsmanship! Or a playable didgeridoo from materials available at your local hardware store!

The following are some very comprehensive instructions for making your own Irish whistles and Didges. The only difficulty may be trying to find the right materials in your own country.


Irish Whistles

PVC Whistle
Get the sweet sound of the Irish whistle with just some... electrical conduit?? Yes, you can make your own set with some PVC pipe, and with great results! The whistles this guy makes retail for 28 to 75 USD - but only because people asked for them. He gives a very detailed step-by-step guide on making your own whistles with measurements and all! His whistle was even given some good reviews by an online reviewer!

How to make the 'Low-Tech' Whistle guide: http://guido.gonzato.googlepages.com/whistle.html

Listen to the 'Low-Tech' Whistle here!

Read the reviews at http://www.tinwhistler.com/index.aspx. Under "Whistle Reviews", click the High-End pull down menu and look for "Guido Gonzato 'Low-Tech' Whistle".

Copper Whistle
Here's another detailed guide on making an Irish whistle, this time in copper! I couldn't find the copper tubing with the right diameter so I bought me some aluminium tube instead. Maybe it'll work just as well...

Here's the tutorial: http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Lofts/6611/makewhis.htm


Didgeridoo

PVC Didges
Now that you've looked at PVC and copper tin whistles (ha... the irony... Methinks Irish whistles shouldn't be referred to as 'tin whistles' if made in other materials), we'll take a look at other stuff you can do with PVC pipe. For this one, you need larger pipe - the type used for water - and a few different materials. This tutorial also steps you through the making of your own didge, this time with photos!

Making PVC Didgeridoos guide: http://www.geocities.com/gangwise/didgeridoo

If you're concerned about the tuning of your didge, check out this chart!

Cardboard Roll Didges
You can make didges out of cardboard rolls too (the long ones used to roll fabrics). I tried making one but haven't finished painting it.

Unlike PVC didges, bending it to shape or making a bell isn't as straightforward. One tutorial stated that you can put a bottle into one end and spray a bit of water over several days to get the cardboard to expand in order to make a bell. I'm a little skeptical, but you can try it. Just be careful your didge doesn't grow mold.

The steps are just as straightforward. You just saw the didge down to the right length (and pitch) and fix a mouthpiece (beeswax or otherwise) then paint it with acrylics. You can spray lacquer over it and use shellac to waterproof the inside somewhat, but I haven't tried it out. I'll post the photos another time.

"If you can't afford a good genuine Didgeridoo, one of the next best things in sound quality is a plastic pipe - and its certainly the cheapest option. There is one source for a Didgeridoo, which can be even cheaper and that is the cardboard rolls used by fabric merchants to roll the material on. You can probably pick those up for free at fabric retailers. It's advisable to give them a coat of varnish or wood glue to harden them and improve the sound of the didgeridoo."

- Excerpt from http://www.didjshop.com/shop1/make_your_own_didgeridoo.html

Christian Flute Maker

I don't remember how I chanced upon this website, but it was only tonight that I went through it in detail and discovered the story behind this extraordinary flute maker. His name is Erik Sampson, and he is a Christian who is using his flute-making skills to be a blessing to others.


Erik had a tumultuous youth and went through a lot of confusion and rough times in his quest for truth until the day God led him to Himself. He later found his calling in life, which was to make flutes for the glory of God and to be a blessing to others. Today he not only makes flutes, but is actively involved in mission work. Check out his testimony!

Erik makes flutes of a wide range of variety - from Arabian flutes to Oriental Shakuhachi, from Egyptian flutes to walking stick flutes - all from bamboo. His flutes sound great (check out the sound clips on his site) and he takes a lot of care creating them, sometimes making several to get one that works well. You can check them out at his shop. He also makes saxophones, Irish whistles and panpipes.

To top things off, there's a parable on his website that uses his process of flute-making as an analogy for the Christian life.

Little Geese and Dragon's Eggs

Animals in my music blog?? Not really. In fact the instruments described here are not related to animals at all. They're what are commonly known as Ocarinas - enclosed clay wind instruments with holes.

Wikipedia tells us: The word ocarina is derived from Italian meaning "little goose." Don't ask me why.

Ocarinas are ancient instruments that, like flutes and panpipes, seem to have existed in cultures all over the world for centuries (or perhaps even millenia!). The Chinese have theirs, the Europeans have theirs, the Mesoamericans have theirs. Today I'll introduce a few that I have.

my ocarina collection

The Little Goose

When we use the word 'ocarina', what comes to mind most readily is the kind with a mouthpiece that resembles a whistle. The Chinese call it the "tao di" (陶笛).

Such ocarinas come in all shapes and sizes. Lots of them come in animal shapes too. It's up to the creativity of the maker.

I own 6 ocarinas of this type. The first is a plastic one I bought from Yamaha at Plaza Singapura (the yellow one). It's a 10-hole instrument. I think the piece I got wasn't too well made as some parts don't have a good seal (it's made in 2 halves joined together).

Clay ocarina

The second one is a clay handmade piece made by my friend's uncle who's a potter. It's a nice piece of pottery with interesting texture and a glazed mouthpiece. It's not tuned very well though, and probably needs some tweaking to sound better.

Fish-shaped ocarina from Eastern Europe

The third one is one that a friend of mine purchased for me in Eastern Europe. It's made of red clay and shaped in a piece. This unfortunate one was the victim of my carelessness when I accidentally swept it off my desk and shattered it to pieces. I've since glued the pieces back together, but I think it leaks air and doesn't sound as it once did...

TaoDi

The other 3 are Chinese TaoDi. Two of them were made by a famous ocarina shop in Taiwan. My friends who visited Taipei got them for me. They are 6-holed ocarinas. The last one was given by someone else and made elsewhere.


The Dragon's Egg


It doesn't take a genius to guess why this ocarina is referred to as a dragon's egg. Apart from the shape, it originates from a culture where dragons are symbols of power and good fortune - the Middle Kingdom, China.

This ocarina is known as a Xun (埙). Unlike the TaoDi, it is edge-blown and doesn't have a mouthpiece. You play it the same way you blow across a bottle opening to get a sound.

I bought this Xun at a roadshow in a shopping mall during Chinese New Year a few years back. It has lovely carvings of carp. Paid $50 SGD for it. It's more an ornamental piece than a musical instrument though. While playable, it's not tuned well.

Listen to the Xun here!

Note: You can probably make ocarinas of this type using ostrich or emu eggs. I've seen instructions on this in a library book on making your own musical instruments. That set of instructions included making a fipple (mouthpiece) for the ocarina.