Making Gourd Musical Instruments: Over 60 String, Wind & Percussion Instruments & How to Play Them

by Ginger Summit, Jim Widess

Pluck them, bang them, shake them, and blow into them! These instruments—from wood temple gongs to water drums and stamping tubes—produce every type of joyful noise. Make a fun “gourd orchestra” of rattles, like a Mesoamerican Indian rain stick and African shekere; a Caribbean guiro; a gorgeous mbira or thumb piano; and friction drums that wail or roar. There are instruments from near and far, from the unusual to the familiar banjo and guitar. Tips on choosing, cleaning, and sealing a gourd, and decorating and playing the finished instrument, help to create beautiful music.

144 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 1999

Reviews

[Brian]

This book has lots of great ideas in it. Some of the instruments they mention or show they don't actually teach you to make. Though there is still no shortage of material here. Most instruments are explained well along with fairly detailed instructions on how to construct them. Sometimes not detailed enough, but mostly good. Now I just need to stop being lazy and make some of these.

[Kris]

I was looking for a book to teach me how to make a shakere (hollow gourd with a beaded netting). This book walked me right through the process in words and photos, and it turned out quite well. There is a lot of background and history about the types of gourd instruments (string, wind, and percussion), with instructions on how to make many of them.

[Katy Lovejoy]

I didn't think that people still used gourds for instruments