Marimba plans are really a necessity if you want to make marimba music with a good percussion instrument. Far too many people try to handle a project like this on their own. It really is a mistake a lot of times for several reasons.
As with any project people have a tendency to underestimate how difficult a project like this is going to be. Isn't that pretty much true with anything we do ordinarily?
It really does pay to spend a little money to purchase marimba plans sometimes. You end up saving yourself money in the long run. If you are using hardwoods the costs can add up pretty quickly. Getting the cuts right and not wasting wood will more than pay for the plans.
You really don't need to get crazy as far as tools go for this kind of a project. A table saw, drill, sander, hammer and a hack saw are a good start. The main thing is to invest in a tuner that is going to get the job done. If you can't afford to buy a really nice see if you can borrow one.
While percussion instruments are usually at the back of the orchestra you still want to have a nice looking marimba. The joy of make marimba music makes the hard work all worth while!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Marimba Plans-A Good Investment Or Not?
The thought of buying marimba plans may seem a little absurd. After all, marimbas are basically pieces of wood that you hit with a mallet right? There is more to it than you might think though. So why should anyone spend money on plans?
First of all, there is always going to be some waste no matter what kind of woodworking project you do. If you are dealing with a relatively expensive hardwood the costs can add up pretty quickly. One wrong cut and you end up buying more materials again.
That's why marimba plans will more than pay for themselves ordinarily. Knowing how much wood to have and a template sure makes the job so much easier. While your marimba may not look quite as nice as a store bought instrument the sound will be almost as good. It all boils down to doing it right the first time!
Rosewood is obviously the wood of choice. If you start pricing it out you will soon realized how expensive it is. Hardwoods such as oak are comparable for most non professional players.
You shouldn't need to get too many tools for the project. A drill press, table saw and band saw are great to have but not necessary. If you can borrow any of those things from a friend it really does help though.
Just remember that your instrument is a labor of love. With all the work involved it just makes sense to consider buying quality marimba plans.
First of all, there is always going to be some waste no matter what kind of woodworking project you do. If you are dealing with a relatively expensive hardwood the costs can add up pretty quickly. One wrong cut and you end up buying more materials again.
That's why marimba plans will more than pay for themselves ordinarily. Knowing how much wood to have and a template sure makes the job so much easier. While your marimba may not look quite as nice as a store bought instrument the sound will be almost as good. It all boils down to doing it right the first time!
Rosewood is obviously the wood of choice. If you start pricing it out you will soon realized how expensive it is. Hardwoods such as oak are comparable for most non professional players.
You shouldn't need to get too many tools for the project. A drill press, table saw and band saw are great to have but not necessary. If you can borrow any of those things from a friend it really does help though.
Just remember that your instrument is a labor of love. With all the work involved it just makes sense to consider buying quality marimba plans.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Make Marimba-Are You Ready To Tackle This Project?
There are times when make marimba plans really do come in handy. We often make the mistake of being "penny wise and pound foolish" don't we? Have you ever had one of those situations?
Percussion instruments are not nearly as difficult to make as you might think. PVC pipe works great for the frame of a marimba or xylophone. It doesn't look nearly as beautiful as wood but sometimes you have to "cut corners".
The history behind marimbas is pretty interesting. They are still made from "native" materials such as gourds and woods found in the forest. You will generally find those kind of instruments in Central America and some parts of Africa.
Rosewood is obviously the wood of choice. Unfortunately, it is extremely expensive! You have to use it wisely. You can usually get by with hardwoods such as oak. The difference between the sound is hardly recognizable by most folks.
It really is smart to make marimba instruments with the right plans. You will generally save yourself a lot of time by spending a little money here. You Tube and other free resources on the internet have their place. There are also times when you should spend a little money to do things the right way.
Having the right tools on hand makes things much easier. There isn't any need to out and spend thousands of dollars though. A table saw, drill press, and miter saw are things you may not have already. Try to borrow those things from someone if you can.
A quality tuner is simply a must. You can get by with a "cheapo" store bought model. If you can use a really nice one that helps tremendously. After all, you want your instrument to sound the right way don't you?
If you decide to make marimba projects be sure and have a fun time. After all, who wants to spend hours and hours on this?
Friday, December 31, 2010
Practice marimba-why building one makes more sense than buying a store bought model.
A practice marimba doesn't need to be an expensive ordeal. One trip to the music store to see how much a store bought one costs will be a reality check.
Most student three octave marimbas will set you back at least $2,000 or $3,000 if you buy them new. You know that you are getting the right materials if you go this route. Unfortunately, most parents find that their investment doesn't get used that often when the "newness" wears off.
A poor quality instrument can be purchased for $400 or $500. But as the old saying goes "you get what you pay for".
The thought of building your own practice marimba may seem a little overwhelming. Just keep in mind that marimbas have been around for generations. They really weren't that sophisticated at one time.
Most of the xylophones that your kids will play in the classroom are about one and a half octaves. Performance xylophones are usually have a range of two and a half octaves.
Xylophones have been around for hundreds of years. The original ones were constructed with wooden bars seated on a series of hollow gourds. Guess what...the modern versions really aren't that much different!
Rosewood is the preferred wood for marimbas and xylophones. Oak and other hard woods produce a tone that is very similar. If you are building a practice marimba you can improvise and do very well with the finished product.
Skilled craftsmen are obviously always going to make a better instrument. The question is can you afford to go "in the poor house" to buy one? On average, you can build a very nice marimba or xylophone for less than $200. It just depends what kinds of materials you have in your garage or workshop.
Having the right plans makes all the difference in the world. They will ordinarily pay for themselves many times over. Whether your are making a homemade xylophone or your own marimba's having the best design ahead of time makes things so much easier!
Most student three octave marimbas will set you back at least $2,000 or $3,000 if you buy them new. You know that you are getting the right materials if you go this route. Unfortunately, most parents find that their investment doesn't get used that often when the "newness" wears off.
A poor quality instrument can be purchased for $400 or $500. But as the old saying goes "you get what you pay for".
The thought of building your own practice marimba may seem a little overwhelming. Just keep in mind that marimbas have been around for generations. They really weren't that sophisticated at one time.
Most of the xylophones that your kids will play in the classroom are about one and a half octaves. Performance xylophones are usually have a range of two and a half octaves.
Xylophones have been around for hundreds of years. The original ones were constructed with wooden bars seated on a series of hollow gourds. Guess what...the modern versions really aren't that much different!
Rosewood is the preferred wood for marimbas and xylophones. Oak and other hard woods produce a tone that is very similar. If you are building a practice marimba you can improvise and do very well with the finished product.
Skilled craftsmen are obviously always going to make a better instrument. The question is can you afford to go "in the poor house" to buy one? On average, you can build a very nice marimba or xylophone for less than $200. It just depends what kinds of materials you have in your garage or workshop.
Having the right plans makes all the difference in the world. They will ordinarily pay for themselves many times over. Whether your are making a homemade xylophone or your own marimba's having the best design ahead of time makes things so much easier!
Homemade xylophone-What kind of materials will I need?
A homemade xylophone can be made with a variety of things you may have already. While rosewood is the preferred wood for the keys you can substitute any number of hard woods for it.
If you get away from using wood for the keys the instrument really isn't technically considered a marimba. The main thing to keep in mind is that the wood has to be completely dried out and not green. Oak is a wonderful material if you have some.
The frame is something that you can really improvise with. Two by fours will work great. PVC piping is a great alternative as well. The primary consideration is how it's going to look when you are done. If you are wanting to have it look authentic your best bet is to invest in homemade xylophone plans.
Moving on...a musical tuner is a real necessity. After all, if the instrument is out of tune are you really going to be happy with it? You may have to work with the wood as far as the lengths and widths to get the sounds you want.
A belt sander makes the whole process so much easier. Trying to do this by hand is a very laborious process. Plus, who really wants to sand anything by hand anymore?
If you have a table saw it really helps too. You are going to be cutting a lot of wood. Your cuts will be much more precise as well.
Whether you are making a practice marimba or a xylophone for the kids the right tools can speed things up.
A miter saw and band saw may be out of your budget if you don't have them already. If you can borrow them from a friend that will increase the ease of putting your instrument together as well.
Having a drill is a "no brainer"! You will need to attach the keys to your frame somehow. In the old days, they used vines, rope or string instead of nuts and bolts. That lends itself to a kind of cool luck if you want to try it.
There really shouldn't be too much time involved in making your own homemade xylophone. Isn't it nice to know that you can help your children learn the gift of music with such a simple instrument to make? The added bonus is the cost doesn't need to be exorbitant to have a really nice and authentic marimba or xylophone!
If you get away from using wood for the keys the instrument really isn't technically considered a marimba. The main thing to keep in mind is that the wood has to be completely dried out and not green. Oak is a wonderful material if you have some.
The frame is something that you can really improvise with. Two by fours will work great. PVC piping is a great alternative as well. The primary consideration is how it's going to look when you are done. If you are wanting to have it look authentic your best bet is to invest in homemade xylophone plans.
Moving on...a musical tuner is a real necessity. After all, if the instrument is out of tune are you really going to be happy with it? You may have to work with the wood as far as the lengths and widths to get the sounds you want.
A belt sander makes the whole process so much easier. Trying to do this by hand is a very laborious process. Plus, who really wants to sand anything by hand anymore?
If you have a table saw it really helps too. You are going to be cutting a lot of wood. Your cuts will be much more precise as well.
Whether you are making a practice marimba or a xylophone for the kids the right tools can speed things up.
A miter saw and band saw may be out of your budget if you don't have them already. If you can borrow them from a friend that will increase the ease of putting your instrument together as well.
Having a drill is a "no brainer"! You will need to attach the keys to your frame somehow. In the old days, they used vines, rope or string instead of nuts and bolts. That lends itself to a kind of cool luck if you want to try it.
There really shouldn't be too much time involved in making your own homemade xylophone. Isn't it nice to know that you can help your children learn the gift of music with such a simple instrument to make? The added bonus is the cost doesn't need to be exorbitant to have a really nice and authentic marimba or xylophone!
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