A xylophone is a musical instrument that consists of a series of resonant pieces that, when struck, produce a specific note. Metal bars are carefully machined and loosely screwed onto a metal or wooden frame in most professional xylophones. Those who want to learn more about this instrument without having to spend money on one can make a number of homemade xylophones out of common household items. Bottles, glasses, pipes, and even different sizes of wrenches can be used to make a homemade version.
Glass and bottle instruments are among the simplest and most affordable types of xylophones to make. A musician only needs five to eight glass bottles of the same shape and size to make a bottle instrument. These could be soda or beer bottles, but they must be clean before the musician begins building the instrument.
To test the note, fill each bottle with a different amount of water and gently strike it with a xylophone mallet. A digital tuner can assist the musician in determining how much water he or she requires. If a tone is particularly harsh, the bottle may be slightly emptied. It’s possible that flat notes will require a little more water. When the musician is finished tuning, he or she can cork each bottle and arrange them so that they are easy to strike.
Drinking glasses are commonly used to make homemade xylophones. The musician rubs his or her finger around the rim of a glass instead of using mallets. The water inside the glass vibrates, causing the glass to vibrate. These homemade xylophones can be made from a single type of glass or a combination of several. An electric tuner is also useful in this situation.
Plumbing pipe can also be used to make xylophones at home. When struck, copper and aluminum pipe resonate longer, but plastic pipe sounds like bamboo. For each note, the pipes should be cut to different lengths. Shorter pipes produce higher notes, while longer pipes produce deeper ones. The same is true for diameter, allowing musicians to create both simple and complex homemade xylophones out of pipe. These pipes should be nested between sets of nails or screws on a wooden frame. They should wiggle a little in their positions, allowing them to vibrate and produce a lot of sound.
Wrenches are one of the simplest and quickest xylophones to make. The musician only requires a full set of wrenches because they are usually already cut and sized to make the required notes. To find out what note each wrench makes, a musician simply arranges them by size across the opening of a narrow wooden box and strikes them.