Shaker

How To Be A Shaker Maker:

Home | Mark Shepard | K-12 Schools | Sound FX Instrument Making Guide | Shaker

This is probably the easiest instrument for small children to make. Ages 3 and up. Time Needed: Approximately 5-10 minutes. Longer for grown-ups.

Materials:

1. Any closeable container. I prefer small plastic bottles, film canister, even those plastic Easter eggs. But there is not "wrong" container. I have heard great sounding shakers made out of soda bottles, cool whip containers, laundry detergent bottles etc.

2. Any small hard substance. I prefer pop-corn, beans, rices etc. but you can also use sand, gravel, BB's, clean kitty litter etc. half the fun is experimenting.

How to Make It:

Open up your container and put the pop-corn etc. inside. Close container and Shaker. Does it sound good? Try putting less shaker material. Try putting more in. Note to teachers and parents: For some groups of kids you may want to glue or tape the containers closed. Have a broom and dust pan hand for clean up. If Time permits you can then decorate your shakers.

How To Play It: Just Shake It Baby!

At one school the kindergarten teachers had their students decorate their film canister containers with little glue-on eyes, paper wings and pipe cleaners. It was cool because they really looked like bugs! We were using them to create the sound of "Insects Buzzing In The Grass". Here's a couple of pictures. Click on them to get a larger size.

Home | Mark Shepard | K-12 Schools | Sound FX Instrument Making Guide | Shaker