How to Make a Wooden Xylophone

Xylophones, members of the percussion family, are used all over the world. They can be made of wood, pipe and even bone. In this article you'll learn how to make a very simple xylophone from wood. For a fancier wooden xylophone, see the related article "How to Make a Xylophone."

Things You'll Need

• wood 2 by 4s Saw Hammer Nails Sandpaper Mallets or dowels

Instructions

1. Select your wood. You can use any kind of wood you like, from plywood to pine to fancier woods. You'll need a piece at least 16 feet long for a big xylophone; if you want to make a smaller instrument, get a piece that is 12 feet long. Make sure that the wood is nice and flat, with no cracks or separation.

2. Cut two pieces of wood to be 2 feet long each. These will form the frame of the xylophone. Cut one piece of wood to be 3 feet long. This will be the longest bar and lowest note on the xylophone.

3. Cut the remaining wood into pieces, each 2 inches shorter than the last. For example, your first piece of wood is 3 feet, so the next piece of wood will be 2 feet 10 inches, the one after that 2 feet 8 inches, and so on. These are the sounding bars.

4. Sand all of the pieces and make sure they are smooth and splinter-free. You can also oil the wood if you like.

5. Nail the sounding bars to one of the frame pieces, letting the sounding bars extend 1/2" beyond the frame piece. Nail the second frame piece to the sounding bars so that it crosses all of them in the same line and so that the smallest sounding bar extends below it about 1/2".

6. Wrap one end of the dowels with fabric or cotton and secure it with rubber bands for soft mallets. For hard mallets, use the dowels on their own.

Tips & Warnings

• Always wear gloves and safety glasses when working with wood.