coll. - DIY Musical Instruments

Introduction

Welcome to the Instructables eBook, DIY Musical Instruments!
To truly understand an instrument, you should learn how it's built. This book will not only improve your musical acumen, but help you build an entire band's worth of fun instruments. Make them for yourself, for your kids, or for any musician who needs a unique and personal gift!
The Instructables editors have chosen some of our best do it yourself musical instrument projects to educate and inspire you to make great things with easily-available tools.
Instructables is the most popular project-sharing community on the Internet. Since August 2005, Instructables has provided easy publishing tools to enable passionate, creative people to share their most innovative projects, recipes, skills, and ideas. Instructables has over 40,000 projects covering all subjects, including crafts, art, electronics, kids, home improvement, pets, outdoors, reuse, bikes, cars, robotics, food, decorating, woodworking, costuming, games, and life in general.

Table of Contents

Author and Copyright Notices

Instructable: Making an Atabaque (Afro-Brazilian Conga)
Author: chapa-de-frente
License: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)
Instructable: Build a Bass Fiddle
Author: courtervideo
License: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)
Instructable: Beginner Cigar Box Guitar
Author: gerlindagrimes
License: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)
Instructable: PVC Soprano Recorder
Author: Thinkenstein
License: Attribution (by)
Instructable: MINI-PIANO
Author: mistic
License: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)
Instructable: Instant Thumb Piano: How to make a set screw lamellaphone
Author: yapruder
License: Attribution-NonCommercial (by-nc)
Instructable: Crazy Looper
Author: rarebeasts
License: Attribution-NonCommercial (by-nc)
Instructable: Simple Self Playing Guitar!
Author: sugarhi911
License: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)
Instructable: 2 String Paddle Bass
Author: st.paul
License: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)
Instructable: Homemade Diddley Bow Electric Slide Guitar (a la Jack White)
Author: CaptainWow
License: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)
Instructable: Make A Guitar Pickup
Author: Leperello Mikesiah
License: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)
Instructable: Army-Navy Mandolin on the Cheap
Author: andrew.spencer.2
License: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)
Instructable: Building Mandolin No. 002
Author: Jnkyrdguy
License: None (All Rights Reserved) (c)
Instructable: Bullet Shell Pan Flute
Author: rabidiga
License: Public Domain (pd)
Instructable: Superterrific Tub Bass
Author: jts3k
License: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)
Instructable: Acoustic Vulcan lyre
Author: agent036
License: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)
Instructable: X-ray Drum Heads
Author: Thinkenstein
License: Attribution (by)
Instructable: How to build a cajon
Author: 89joho87
License: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (by-nc-nd)
Instructable: DIY Kids Sand Block Instruments
Author: yankeelandy
License: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)
Instructable: Styrofoam Harps
Author: Thinkenstein
License: Attribution (by)
Instructable: Styrofoam Maracas
Author: Thinkenstein
License: Attribution (by)
Instructable: A Rule Organ
Author: SteevAtBlueDust
License: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)
Instructable: Build Your Own Marimba and Wrap Your Own Mallets!
Author: RocketScientist
License: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)
Instructable: The Minty Kalimba
Author: Deansrds
License: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)
Instructable: How to Make Bagpipes out of a Garbage Bag and Recorders
Author: wasabi32746
License: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)

Disclaimer

All do-it-yourself activities involve risk, and your safety is your own responsibility, including proper use of equipment and safety gear, and determining whether you have adequate skill and experience. Some of the resources used for these projects are dangerous unless used properly and with adequate precautions, including safety gear. Some illustrative photos do not depict safety precautions or equipment, in order to show the project steps more clearly. The projects are not intended for use by children.
Many projects on Instructables are user-submitted, and appearance of a project in this format does not indicate it has been checked for safety or functionality. Use of the instructions and suggestions is at your own risk. Instructables, Inc. disclaims all responsibility for any resulting damage, injury, or expense. It is your responsibility to make sure that your activities comply with all applicable laws.

Making an Atabaque (Afro-Brazilian Conga)

Published by chapa-de-frente on August 30, 2010

Intro: Making an Atabaque (Afro-Brazilian Conga)

The Atabaque is an Afro-Brazilian conga drum that is used in the Martial Art/Dance/Game of Capoeira, and the Afro -Brazilian Religion of Candombl. The steps provided in this instructable are for making a rope-tensioned, as opposed to a lug-tensioned drum. If you wish to bring ax (energy) into your roda, or call upon the Orixas (protective spirits of Candombl), this instructable will give you the information that you need to build your own Grande Atabaque! Muito Ax!

Step 1: Gather all of your materials

Materials needed for this over all are:
100 feet of Manila rope
9 boards of Maple that are .5" thick, 8" wide, and 40" long
1 Bottle of Titebond 3 wood glue, or any other water resistant glue
1 Can of Marine Varnish, or any other wood protectant
1 1 1/2"x1 1/2"x20" Black Walnut turning square
1 22" round of Cow Rawhide http://www.djembedirect.com/store/djembe_goat_skin
2 16" inside diameter steel rings that are 1/4" thick http://www.africanrhythmtraders.com/html/drumrings.html
1 15.5" inside diameter ring
2 Ratcheting tie downs
1 can of black spraypaint
1 gigantic 55 gallon plastic bag
1 pot large enough to boil water for 3 hours strong
1 table saw with a blade you can angle and rip fence, or 1 large woodworkers plane
1 small plane
sand paper
wood screws
wood putty
1 large bucket or long planter trough (no holes)
1 hammer
1 screw driver

Step 2: Cutting the boards

First, take one of your boards and cut it down the middle the long way. Choose one of these thinner boards to be your template board and first stave.

In order to create a round body for the drum, the edges along the sides will need to be at an angle of 10 degrees for 18 staves, so I devised a way to get the stave cut out of the board with the bevel at the same time.

A small distance from the top, draw the top, middle and bottom widths at 58mm, 80mm, and 22mm wide, with the distance between the top and bottom widths 1000mm (1M) and distance between the top and middle at 457mm. this will be your template

Then get a second board and angle the saw blade to 10 degrees and placed the rip fence at a distance equal to the width of the second board away from the point of contact of the saw blade. Then line the drawn line of one side of the template board with the straight edge of the other board and tape it down with gorilla tape. Then run it through the saw, lift the tape, turn and repeat for all of the other sides of the template.