Build Your Own Xylophone

Do you drive your teachers crazy at school by drumming on the desk with your pencils? Have you ever wanted to be a drummer or a musician? If so, this activity is for you.

What You Need

1. An adult to help
2. Different lengths of PVC pipes
3. Two boards
4. String
5. A mallet or small hammer

What You Do

1. Create a xylophone by cutting PVC pipe into various lengths.
2. Place them side by side on a frame from the longest to shortest.
3. Cut two boards the appropriate length to accomadate all the pipes. These boards will make a good supporting frame. The best sound will be achieved by allowing a little less than a third of each pipe to extend off the frame. When you have the pipes the way that you want, tie them on the frame with string.
4. You can tune your xylophone by cutting the pipes shorter for higher notes and leaving the pipes longer for the lower ones.
5. Play the xylophone by striking the pipes with a mallet of some kind.