Make a cardboard flute
Take inspiration from Wildlord and have a go at creating your own musical instrument to wow your family and friends.
Materials you will need:
- A cardboard tube
- Paper
- Sticky tape
- Sharp scissors
How to create your flute:
- First you must create the embouchure, the sound hole into which you will blow. To do this use the scissors to create an oval hole about 5 cm from one end of the tube.
- When you blow into the flute you will want the air to travel down its length so you have the opportunity to create different notes. Ensure this happens use paper and sticky tape to completely block the end of the tube nearest the embouchure.
- Finally, use the scissors to create 6 holes along the length of the flute, in line with the embouchure. Make sure that you can comfortably reach the holes while holding the flute and that you can completely cover them with your fingertips.
How to play your flute:
You’ve created a transverse flute, where the player must blow across the embouchure to produce a sound.
If you’ve not played a flute before it will take some practice to master making a sound but persevere and you will get there.
Once you’ve mastered creating a sound, you can cover the 6 holes in different combinations to create notes!
Taking it a bit further:
Now you know the basic, have a think about what else you could use to create a flute. Or is there another instrument you’d like to try and create at home?
Perhaps you could check out The Long Island Vegetable Orchestra for some inspiration!
