Homemade Instruments for Teenagers to Make

At certain times, your teenager may approach you for assistance on what instrument to make for a music project at school or just for the sake of passing time. There are several categories of instruments you can advise your teenage child, relative or friend to make. The materials required to make these instruments are attainable from your attic, garage or kitchen, reducing the cost of making the instruments.

A guitar is one of the string instruments you can make using materials such as rubber bands or thin wires to act as the plucking strings. Some of the materials that you will use are a carton and glue; the carton will form the body the body of the guitar while the glue helps in joining parts. Another example of a string instrument is the lute. This instrument resembles the guitar but differs only in shape. Other string musical instruments you can make include the harp and the lyre.

Wind instruments require a skillful knowledge in their crafting. However, there are some instruments you can make from readily available materials. For instance, a flute or fife requires a nail, a blade and a pipe. Use the nail to make holes at given lengths on the pipe and the blade to cut out the appropriate length of the flute you are making.

Percussion instruments require less material to make, however, it takes energy and concentration to build them. A drum is a percussion instrument you can make at home. To make this instrument you need fresh animal skin, a leather sewing kit and cylindrical metallic container that is hollow at both ends. Cover the hollow ends of the cylinder using the skin and sew them together, then allow the drum to dry naturally in the sun. You can use cylinders of different sizes to make drums of different pitches. The xylophone, cymbal and marimba are also percussion instruments you can make at home using different readily materials.

There are other instruments that teens can make, such as maracas, tambourines and rattles.