Homemade Rhythm Sticks

You can make rhythm sticks from wooden dowels.

A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is played by striking, shaking, rubbing or scraping. Some of the simplest percussion instruments, which date back to ancient times, are rhythm sticks. Rhythm sticks are exactly what the name suggests--sticks that are used to create various rhythms. You can buy rhythm sticks from music stores, or you can make your own inexpensive ones.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Wooden dowels
• Sand paper
• Felt
• Tape
• Leather
• Paint
• Markers

1. Purchase a variety of wooden dowels. Use dowels of varying diameters and lengths.

2. Sand down the edges of the dowels' ends so that you have a smooth, angled edge all the way around. This isn't absolutely necessary, but it can enhance the look and feel of the rhythm stick.

3. Decorate the sticks with paints or markers if you like.

4. Experiment with various coverings, which will produce different tones. You can cover the sticks with cloth, felt, leather or tape in order to make multiple types of sounds.

5. Strike the sticks against each other and against hard surfaces (that you aren't afraid of damaging) in order to create various rhythm patterns.

References

• Rhythm Web: Homemade Percussion--Sticks and Beaters