How to Play the Saw as a Musical Instrument

The saw, in addition to being a tool of carpenters, can be used as a musical instrument, and is the most "ubiquitous musical instrument in the world, aside from the human voice," according to Theremin-saw.com. A fairly common household item, the saw can produce an ethereal sound, similar to that of a theremin, when played with either a mallet or bow.

Things You'll Need

• Saw (at least 26 inches long)
• Mallet (percussion or piano hammer)
• Bow

Instructions

How To Play the Saw

1. Sit on a chair and place the handle of the saw between your thighs. Make sure that the blade does not touch your leg.

2. Hold the tip of the saw blade with your left hand, with your thumb approximately 4 to 6 inches down the blade. You do not need to hold the saw with much pressure, as it will produce a tone with very little tension.

3. Strike the middle of the blade with a percussion mallet. This will produce a tone that you can manipulate by bending the blade. Bending the blade by pushing it downwards (to the right) with the left hand will produce a higher-pitched tone. Bending it in the opposite direction produces lower-pitched tones.

4. You can also use a bow (violin, viola, or even homemade) to produce sounds with the saw. Hold the bow with the right hand, with the bow pointing downwards. Slide the bow across the edge of the blade. You may need to move the bow up or down on the blade to find the desired tone.

5. Slide the bow across the blade with varying speed and pressure to control the volume. Bend the blade, as described in Step 3, to manipulate the pitch.

Tips & Warnings

• Longer saws (28 inches or more) will produce a deeper tone. Heavy-duty, professional saws will sometimes be too difficult to bend, and may not be suitable for musical applications.

References

• Theremin-Saw
• Bergmark
• Odd Instrument