Playing music doesn't have to cost a fortune. You can make musical instruments from everyday materials. The PVC pipe instrument was made famous by the Blue Man Group [source: Blue Man], but you can become a musical virtuoso in your own right. Read the steps listed below and learn how to make your own PVC pipe instrument.
Materials:
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Here's what to do.
- Buy 2 feet (61.97 centimeters) of PVC or ABS pipes. The only difference between the two is the color. The width of your pipe is up to you. The wider your pipe, the louder the sound will be [source: True]. The recommended width is 2 inches (5.08 centimeters) wide.
- Divide the pipe into four sections, as follows: a 4 inch (10.16 centimeter), a 5.5 inch (13.97 centimeter), a 6 inch (15.24 centimeter) and an 8.5 inch (21.59 centimeter) pipe. Carefully measure and mark each section.
- Cut the pipe into the four pieces along the markings that you made. This requires a saw.
- Sand the edges of the pipes with sandpaper. This will make it more comfortable to blow into the pipes.
- Put a rubber stopper in one end of each of the four pipe pieces.
- Lay the four pieces down on a table, arranged from tallest to shortest. Align the open ends of the pipe pieces so that they're even.
- Tape the four pieces together with packing tape, in the order they're set out on the table.
Your instrument is ready to be played. Hold the PVC pipe instrument so the openings are closest to your mouth and blow [source: Farrier].
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