Parents can make homemade percussion instruments from PVC pipes and a few pieces of wood.
The pitch of an instrument is based on the length of the sound wave that escapes the instrument when it's struck, blown or strummed. When sound waves are short, they create a higher-pitched sound. Longer waves create lower-pitched sounds. To illustrate this principle for their children, parents can make a simple percussion instrument from PVC pipes, a pine board and a pair of rubber mallets.
Instructions
1. Cut seven lengths of 2-inch PVC pipe. Make each pipe 4 inches longer than the previous piece. Cut the first piece 12 inches long; the final piece should be 36 inches long. Cut one end of the pipe square, and cut the other end of each pipe at a 45-degree angle.
2. Open the PVC cement. Glue the 2-inch PVC couplings flush with the square-cut ends of each pipe. Set these PVC plastic "bells" aside and allow the fittings to dry.
3. Drill seven 2-1/4-inch holes into the 3/4-inch pine board with the hole saw. Arrange the holes across the board so that they're far enough apart that the board is strong, and won't break when your child pounds on the PVC bells.
4. Insert the PVC bells into the holes, and arrange the lengths with the longest bell on the left, and the shortest one on the right. Insert the pipes so that they slide down into the holes, and the coupling fitting supports each pipe. The PVC bells should hang through the board, with the angle-cut ends pointed toward the ground.
5. Place the board and bells across a keyboard stand. Caulk the tubes into the board with the silicone caulk and allow them to dry. The pipes shouldn't move when the drum is played. You've now created a Blue Man Group-style PVC tubular drum. When the tubes are struck on the top end by the rubber mallets, each tube will make a different-pitched sound as the sound waves escape from the bottom of the tube.
Tags: each pipe, board with, from pipes, inches long, into holes