Objects in the Jungle That Can Be Used for an Instrument

Fine woods to make drums can be harvested in the jungle.

Jungles contain many objects that could be made into musical instruments. Many fine woods come from jungles, which in the hands of master craftsmen become beautiful instruments. For amateur craftsmen, hollow logs, hollow twigs, gourds of varying sizes and animal parts can all be used to create a wide variety of simple instruments.

Wood

Hollow logs can be turned on their sides for a simple, impromptu drum; short pieces of limb can be used for drum sticks. Slender twigs with pithy centers can have holes drilled along their length to use as finger stops, and a whistle valve carved at one end to create a flute. Larger hollow sticks can have pebbles or grain placed inside them to turn them into a rain stick, or can be left in their natural state to be used as a digeradoo.

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Gourds

Gourds love the warm, wet climate in jungle areas. They come in a variety of sizes from tiny palm-sized fruits to those large enough to make a peck-sized basket. Small, dried gourds are excellent rattles; as they dry, the seeds inside shake loose to act as the small bits to make the sound. An end can be cut off a gourd, and a hide or thick paper stretched across it to create a drum. Gourds can be used as soundboards for simple stringed instruments.

Animal Parts

Bones and intestines of animals that have been harvested for food can also be used in making musical instruments. Bones can be used in similar fashion to twigs. They can be carved into flutes, used as drumsticks or be fashioned into the framework to hold strings for a stringed instrument. Intestines can be stretched and dried to become the strings.

Reeds, Grasses and Seed Pods

Reeds and bamboo can be shaped into flutes. A series of them can be bound together with tough grasses to form panpipes. A broad grass blade can be held between a player's thumbs to act as the reed in a whistle. Different notes can be shaped by the player changing the way his hands are cupped around the blade. Large seed pods can be tied together using cords made of grass to create clackers.

References

• Girl Guides, "The Jungle is Jumping",
• "Cool Cardboard Instruments to Make and Play", Dennis Waring; 2000
• "Simple Flutes", Mark Shepard; 2001