Sofia Martinez
There are several large plastic tube instruments, including the whirly tube, corrugaphone, bloogle resonator, boomwhackers, and PVC instruments. The whirly tube is a corrugated plastic tube that is played by swinging it in a circle to create different pitches. Boomwhackers are lightweight, hollow, color-coded plastic tubes tuned to a musical pitch by length and played by striking them. PVC instruments are also large plastic tubes that can be built and tuned to play various notes. These instruments provide a unique and experimental way to create music and are often used in educational settings or as a cheap alternative to traditional instruments.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Whirly Tube, Corrugaphone, Bloogle Resonator, Free-Ka, Whirl-A-Sound, Freeka, The Hummer, Corrugahorn, Water Pipe, Cugaphone, Rimba Tubes, Thongophone, PVC Marimba, Boomwhackers |
| Description | Experimental musical instrument made of corrugated plastic tube, open at both ends, and possibly wider at one end |
| Inventor | Unknown, but possibly Frank Crawford |
| Playing Method | Rotating the tube in a circle, blowing into the tube |
| Pitch | Depends on the speed of rotation and length of the tube; faster rotation and shorter length produce higher pitch |
| Sound | Similar to a scraping instrument, like a "reco-reco" |
| Recyclability | Boomwhackers are made from a recyclable polymer and can be recycled at least 10 times |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Boomwhackers
The original plastic Boomwhackers were first produced in 1995, with a more durable version released in 1997. Craig Ramsell then started Whacky Music, Inc. in 1998, marketing a wider variety of Boomwhacker sets and materials. Boomwhackers are now available to span 3½ chromatic octaves. The addition of the Octavator Tube Caps in 1999 allowed for the third lower octave.
Pressure Testing Plastic Pipes: A Comprehensive Guide
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Whirly tubes
A whirly tube, also known as a corrugaphone or bloogle resonator, is an experimental musical instrument made of corrugated plastic. It is open at both ends and is played by rotating it in a circle to produce different pitches. The faster the whirly tube is swung, the higher the pitch of the note it produces.
The whirly tube was first sold as "Free-Ka" in the 1960s and became a cultural phenomenon in late 1960s New York City. It was used by Peter Brooks in his production of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in the early 1970s and has since been employed by various artists in their compositions.
The inventor of the whirly tube is not known, but Bart Hopkin credits Frank Crawford of the UC Berkeley Department of Physics with "developing the idea and researching the underlying acoustics." Crawford also invented a method of playing a smaller version of the instrument by blowing into it, which he called the corrugahorn.
According to Bernoulli's principle, as the speed of the whirly tube increases, pressure decreases, and air is sucked into the still or inside end of the tube. This creates a feedback loop that results in the production of sound. The characteristic speed of the whirly tube is the mean flow through the pipe, and the length must be a multiple of the spacing between corrugations.
ABS vs Polycarbonate: What's the Difference?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Corrugaphones
The whirly tube, also known as the corrugaphone, is an experimental musical instrument consisting of a corrugated plastic tube or hose (hollow flexible cylinder) that is open at both ends and possibly wider at one end. The corrugaphone is played by rotating the thinner end of the tube in a circle, with the speed of rotation determining the pitch of the note produced. The faster the toy is swung, the higher the pitch of the note, and it produces discrete notes roughly belonging to the harmonic series, similar to a valveless brass instrument.
The corrugaphone is typically a few feet long and a few inches wide, and the length of the tube must be trimmed to tune it for concert play. According to the modified Hornbostel-Sachs organological system proposed by Roderic Knight, the twirled version of the corrugaphone is numbered as "A21.31", while the blown version is "A21.32".
The modes of a corrugated tube are usually lower than those of an uncorrugated tube of the same length and diameter. According to F.S. Crawford, the sound produced by the whirly tube is similar to a scraping instrument, such as a "reco-reco", where a stick is scraped against a surface with regularly spaced grooves.
The corrugaphone has been used in some of Peter Schickele's comic P. D. Q. Bach compositions, such as the Erotica Variations: IV (1979), Missa Hilarious (1975), and Shepherd on the Rocks with a Twist (1967). In these compositions, Schickele refers to the instrument as the lasso d'amore, a pun on the oboe d'amore.
Bart Hopkin describes a single whirled corrugaphone as capable of producing three or four different pitches. Frank Crawford, on the other hand, describes harmonics two through seven as reachable while whirling, although the seventh harmonic takes "great effort."
Lacquer Application: Plastic Coating Guide
You may want to see also
Explore related products
PVC instruments
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes and fittings can be used to create a variety of musical instruments. These instruments are typically DIY projects that can be fun and educational, providing a better understanding of music and physics. Here are some examples of PVC instruments:
PVC Flute
A PVC flute is a simple instrument to create and can be made in less than 30 minutes. All you need is a PVC end cap, pipe, and a drill to make the holes. It's a great option for practising or travelling as it's durable and less expensive than a traditional flute.
PVC Saxophone
Building a PVC saxophone can be a fun project for children, with adult supervision. It may not produce the most melodious sounds, but it can teach the fundamentals of music and instrument construction.
PVC Xylophone
Creating a xylophone from PVC pipes is an excellent way to learn about scales and pitches. Building it yourself adds an educational aspect that simply playing an instrument cannot provide.
PVC Whirly Tube
The whirly tube, also known as a corrugaphone or bloogle resonator, is an experimental PVC instrument. It consists of a corrugated plastic tube, open at both ends, with one end possibly wider than the other. The tube is swung in a circle to produce sound, with the speed of rotation determining the pitch. This instrument can be a fun way to explore acoustics and the underlying physics of sound.
PVC "Keyboard"
A more complex PVC instrument involves creating a keyboard-like setup with multiple octaves. This project requires careful planning and construction, including the use of ABS/PVC piping, elbows, couplings, a tuner, and castor wheels for portability. The size of the instrument will depend on the number of notes included, and fine-tuning is achieved with the tuner.
BPA-Free Plastic: Safe or Not?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Rimba tubes
Another plastic tube instrument is the corrugahorn, which was invented by Frank Crawford. This instrument is played by blowing into a tube with a diameter smaller than those commonly marketed as toys.
Plastic Spoons: Conductive or Not?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
There are a few different instruments that are made of big plastic tubes. Some of the most common ones are Boomwhackers, Whirly Tubes, and PVC instruments.
Boomwhackers are lightweight, hollow, color-coded, plastic tubes that are tuned to a musical pitch by length. They produce musical tones through vibrations when struck. The pitch of the instrument is determined by the length of the tube—the longer a tube is, the lower the pitch; the shorter a tube is, the higher the pitch.
Whirly Tubes are corrugated plastic tubes that are played by swinging them in a circle. The sound is created by air moving through the tube. The faster the tube is swung, the higher the pitch of the note it produces.
PVC instruments are do-it-yourself instruments made out of PVC pipes. They can have multiple octaves and can be played by blowing into them or striking them.
