Kid-friendly instruments with sustain

September 18, 2010 3:54 PM

Are there kid-playable instruments (besides the recorder) whose notes can be sustained? Building or hacking or repurposing instruments is allowable. Brainstorming encouraged.

The kids in my elementary school music room play xylophones, marimbas, drums and various percussion instruments, acoustic guitars — all of which have fairly sharp decay to them. They have, of course, their own voices and recorders, but singing is singing and recorders are hard to listen to for very long. Besides, I want to vary the tone colors.

Synthesizers...no thanks. I like acoustic instruments. Is there something kids can blow or bow or crank or otherwise produce long notes on? Or some way to extend the notes on the instruments we have? Something with less forbidding learning curves than, say, violins, clarinets or flutes?

posted by argybarg to Media & Arts (11 answers total)

We used to have these plastic tubes that we'd spin really fast in a circle and they'd make a sort of varying pitch noise that was neat and I think what you are looking for. I guess it's called a whirly?
posted by jessamyn at 3:57 PM on September 18, 2010

Harmonica
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 3:59 PM on September 18, 2010

Melodica!
posted by PercussivePaul at 4:02 PM on September 18, 2010

accordion/concertina
ocarina
penny whistle
slide whistle
tambourine, sleigh bells, etc.
hand bells
harmonica
melodica
kazoo
pan flute

Lark in the Morning may yield more ideas.
posted by Wossname at 4:18 PM on September 18, 2010

Oh, and if you want a clarinet-like instrument, but easier learning curve, try a pocket sax or pocket clarinet.
posted by Wossname at 4:22 PM on September 18, 2010

Hurdy Gurdy
Vuvuzela
Disco Duck Piano Band

(not trying to be funny - I love all of these instruments!)
posted by moonmilk at 5:08 PM on September 18, 2010 [1 favorite]

Thirding melodica. Also, singing tubes!
posted by speicus at 6:16 PM on September 18, 2010

Mouth harp - I'd be kind of afraid it would break a kid's teeth though.
posted by lakeroon at 8:13 PM on September 18, 2010

Casio keyboard.
posted by lhude sing cuccu at 8:20 PM on September 18, 2010 [1 favorite]

Start with the Kazoo, in all seriousness, then move to the harmonica. Neither require fingering, so a kid can go nuts, and they don't mind all the spit.
posted by davejay at 9:24 PM on September 18, 2010

Many of those tuned percussion instruments can be bowed, that sustains the sound.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bIpa6qttds

Also what kind of recorders do you have? The bigger ones might be less painful.
posted by Coaticass at 3:59 AM on September 19, 2010