3.4 Grow a musical instrument  (Page 5/8)

Gourd instruments

General gourd preparation

• The basic instructions included here assume that your emphasis will be on learning and process, rather than on producing high-quality instruments. If you want the result to be high-quality instruments, please look for more detailed instructions elsewhere .
• Read these instructions and the instructions for the instruments you want to make. Gather the necessary tools and materials.
• Clean the outside of the dried gourds, using soap and scrubbing as necessary.
• You must also hollow out and clean the inside of the gourd. If the gourd has a rotten or soft spot, you can use that to get to the inside. If not, cut off the stem end of each gourd. See the instructions for each instrument to decide where to make the cut.
• Through the hole, scrape and scoop out any "innards" from the gourd. You can clean the inside using tools and bottle brushes of the right size and shape for your gourd, or make a cleaning tool from a wire coat hanger. A very clean gourd will give a crisper and more resonant sound. Allow the inside of the cleaned instruments to dry thoroughly. If the gourd seems too soft or thin to make a musical instrument, you may want to use a wood hardener to strengthen it.

Gourd rattle

This is one of the simplest gourd instruments to make, particularly if you choose a gourd variety with a long, thin "neck" that can be used as the handle.

Gourd rattles are traditional in many cultures, including many African and Native American types as well as the familiar Mexican maracas . Traditional decorations can include carving, painting, burning decorations onto the gourd using burning sticks, or tying things such as feathers or shells to the outside of the rattle.

Materials

• Small gourds with a long thin neck suitable to use as a handle, or small round or "bottle" gourds and thick sticks or dowels to use as handles.
• Beads, pebbles, dry beans, peas, or rice, or other suitable rattle filler.
• Art supplies for decoration. Paints and paintbrushes suitable for wood, feathers or beads and string to tie them on, carving or burning implements, varnish or other wood sealant, are all possibilities.

Procedure

1. If possible, remove only the stem end of the neck to clean the gourd.
2. Fill the cleaned gourds with small objects to get the desired rattle sound. Different fills will give very different sounds. If possible, let the students experiment before deciding on what, and how much, to fill their rattles with.
3. When the students like the sound of the fill, the opening should be permanently sealed. Choose the method based on the gourd, the abilities of the students to work with the materials, the amount of assistance the students can expect with difficult steps, and the desired result. Plug the hole with one of the following: the end of a dowel or stick that will be used as a handle (if the gourd doesn't have a "handle" already), the section of gourd that was removed for cleaning, a flat piece of gourd, wood, or cork, cut and shaped to fit, or a strong tape such as duct tape. For the prettiest result, glue the plug into place with a very strong glue (you can reinforce plain white glue with sawdust to give it more substance). Alternatively, you can tape the plug in place.
4. If desired, let the students decorate the finished rattles in a traditional fashion.