How to Make Your Own Hand Percussion Instruments

Hand percussion instruments are an excellent way for young children to learn the basic elements of rhythm and timing in music. Homemade instruments are also perfect for musicians on a limited budget. Percussion instruments require only a few household items and are easy to make. By constructing the instruments from recycled materials, the project also helps reduce environmental solid waste. Shakers of various sizes allow musicians to complement the beat or lead others in creating a percussion pattern.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Aluminum soda cans (various sizes)
• Metal coffee cans (various sizes)
• Plastic containers and lids
• Various sizes of plastic beads and dried beans
• 2 oz. dried cooking rice
• Gravel
• Nontoxic spray paint (for metal)
• Nontoxic spray paint (for plastic)
• 1 oz. metal BBs
• Plastic Easter eggshells
• Permanent glue
• Thin cardboard
• 1 roll narrow duct tape

How to Make Your Own Hand Percussion Instruments

1. Collect materials for the shakers. Coffee cans and aluminum cans are ideal containers. Plastic provides a different sound, so mix and match the metal and synthetic materials.

2. Shop for the interior materials for the shakers. Dried beans (navy and pinto beans are usually used) and dried rice work well. Visit a gravel pit or home improvement store for bags of decorative stones and gravel.

3. Organize the variously sized shakers. Large-size shakers will accommodate the larger stones while the smaller containers should hold smaller items, such as the dried rice and beans. The selection will be determined by the types of containers that were collected.

4. Prepare the exterior containers. Spray paint the exteriors of the cans. Be sure to do this in a well-ventilated location where there is also a place to allow the cans to dry. Spray paint designed for metal cans will not adhere to any plastic containers, especially when used for musical instruments, so also purchase specially designed spray paint for any plastic items.

5. Fill the shakers and attach the tops. Place small metal BBs into the plastic eggshells. Seal the edge of both eggs with the permanent glue. Use larger rocks to fill the coffee cans. Cut round circles from the cardboard to create tops for some of the cans. (The cardboard will create a much different sound from the plastic tops that were purchased with the cans.) Tape the lid edges with the narrow duct tape so that the interior materials do not leak out. Place the permanent glue inside the plastic lids and also seal the lids with the duct tape.

6. Put on some music and test the percussion shakers.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure shakers using food products are well sealed. This will keep insects away from the instruments. Extremely young children should not be allowed to play with the egg shakers since the metal BBs pose an extreme risk to health if the egg should break.

Resources

• Online Basic Playing Instructions
• Video on Playing Shakers with Both Hands