Instrument Making

Francis: Drum

How to Make it:

Step One: Buy a Pot/Bucket

Find a pot or something like that usually look around at garage sales for pots/buckets

Step Two: Decide what sized balloon is best to use as the skin

Step Three: Cut off the mouthpiece

Step 4: Stretching the skin over the pot/bucket.

Place the balloon over one end of the bowl and simply stretch it over the entire

opening.

Sometimes it is easier to do this with three hands, so either use your knee to keep the balloon on as you stretch it over, or ask for a friend’s help.

 

Step Five: Secure the balloon skin

                                                                            

This is the biggest trick! If the container you’re using has perpendicular sides, like a stew pot does, you can secure the balloon skin by wrapping and tying a non-inflated skinny (twisting) balloon around it. If you’re using a soup bowl with angled sides, the skinny balloon will slide right off—so you’ll need to make it stay put with thick packing tape.

Once it is secured, your balloon drum is ready to play

Step Six: Hit It!

Chopsticks from your local Chinese restaurant make for good balloon drums sticks. Regular drumsticks are too large and heavy. You can also try shishkabob skewers or #2 pencils, using the eraser end to hit the balloon.