Instructions to Make African Instruments

Learn something about African culture while making African instruments.

It can be fairly easy to make instruments in the same way that many African cultures have for centuries. Believe it or not, you can make these instruments with items that you probably already have in your house, and you may not even have to go to the store to purchase anything extra. Known for their infectious rhythms, percussion --- including African drums --- has always been an integral part of African music, and a shekere is an instrument that compliments and accentuates those rhythms.

Things You'll Need

• Plastic jug
• Paint and paintbrush
• Scissors
• Yarn
• Beads
• Dried beans
• 2 foam cups
• Glue
• Masking tape
• Toothbrush
• Shoe polish
• Cloth

Instructions

Shekere

1. Paint the plastic jug. While you have creative control over its appearance, give it a genuine African feel by using colors such as red, yellow and green. Allow your paint to dry.

2. Cut a string of yarn about 5 feet (60 inches). Fold the yarn in half and wrap it around the jug, under the handle, and tie a knot under the handle. Use the remaining hanging yarn to string beads and tie knots around the jug.

3. Put some dried beans inside of the jug. When you shake the jug, the beans will create a sound that accentuates many traditional African rhythms. Originally from West Africa, shekere is a dried gourd with beads woven on its exterior. Players twist the gourd back and forth to create a shaking sound with the beads. It is known by multiple names, such as lilolo and axatse, in Africa. In Nigeria, it is known as a shekere.

African Drum

1. Glue the bottoms of two foam cups together. Let the glue dry properly.

2. Cover the openings of both cups with strips of masking tape, then cover the the rest of the cups' surface with more strips of masking tape.

3. Apply shoe polish over the masking tape. If your polish does not already come with a brush, use an old toothbrush to spread the polish around. The purpose of the polish is to give the appearance and feel of animal hide, with which traditional African drums are covered.

4. Use the cloth to wipe off any extra shoe polish. Both ends of the cups are now ready to be played as percussion instruments.

References

• DLTK's Growing Together: African Drum
• Family Fun: Bottle Cap Tambourines