Coconut shells are something that most people have left in the trash or recycled site. They’re perfect for making various fun, easy-to-use musical instruments! In this article, we will be talking about some cool ways to make coconut shell percussion instruments.

Many musicians use rhythm instrument tools such as shakers, clackers, and xylophones to create music. We will going into detail on how to easily make your own rhythm tool using empty coconut shells!

There is no special equipment needed to make these instruments. All you need to do is cut up some coconuts and soak them in water so they can be worked on. Once dried, you can separate the solid inner material from the hard exterior which can then be used later!

These types of rhythmically striking objects can add new depth to your music. There are many creative ways to apply them towards music production.

Make a drum shell instrument

A great way to learn how to make your own coconut shell drums is by making a simple drum shell! You will need one 5-inch white or cream fresh coconut (no dried, salted nuts!), paper towels, tape, and some metal trays of varying sizes.

To begin, take your freshly opened coconut and dry it off using a paper towel. Now cut along either side of the hard outer layer until you get to the thin inner meaty part. This will now be your battering tool.

Now use the same paper towel to wipe away any liquid that has seeped out from the meat. Once it’s all dried up, break down the inner meat into nice small pieces.

Once it’s all broken down, mix it together in a bowl with our prepared coconut skin powder. Spread this mixture onto a large baking sheet and let it air dry.

When it’s completely dried, roll each piece of coconut skin like a cigarrete and stick it to a tray of your choice. Press it firmly so it sticks and does not come loose.

Make a flute shell instrument

A coconut shell flute is one of the most popular musical instruments in tropical cultures around the world! It is usually shaped like a long, thin tube with either raised or depressed sections that can be fingered to make different notes.

The first people to use this type of device were the Polynesians. They would hollow out the shells by hitting them with heavy hammers or using wooden tools. Once they had created enough space to insert a reed, then repeated the process until you got a nice smooth piece.

After that, the natives would scrape off any leftover hard material so that the hole was slightly wider and more resonant. Then they could add a metal wire or plastic stick to help stabilize the reed inside the mouthpiece.

You do not need fancy equipment to make your own coconut shell flutes! There are many ways to do this. For example, you can use plain old kitchen knives to shape the tubes, or if you have a power tool, then go crazy!

And remember, it does not matter what size the holes are, as long as you can get a good tone when you play.

Make a harp shell instrument

Harps are an interesting musical tool that use air pressure to produce notes. There are many ways to make your own harp shells, but one of the most common is using coconut meat as the material.

Coconuts have hard thin shells made of protein which can be dried and mixed together to create thick paste. When pressed down or squeezed, these pastes will expand and then contract very quickly, creating air pockets and therefore sound.

These bubbles can be repeated frequently to get higher pitched sounds or less frequently for lower pitches.

Make a maraca shell instrument

In this article, you’ll learn how to make coconut shell musical instruments-the most well known being the maraca!

The word ‘maraca’ comes from the Tupi language of Brazil, where it was first used as an idi0omatic term for something that sounds good. The English translation is to shake something rhythmically.

A similar looking but slightly smaller percussion instrument is the tambourine. Tambourines are usually made out of iron or plastic and have small metal rattles attached to wires that vibrate when hit with a stick or hand.

Making your own coconut shell instruments is quite simple and can be done using any kind of mason jar or empty food container with a screw top. You will also need some thin wooden sticks and a source of natural heat (like a stove) in order to harden the shells.

Step one: Dry the coconut halves

Start by drying either side of each half of fresh, crisp coconut meat. This can be done anywhere away from heavy traffic and people so they do not get stuck with dried coconut crumbs.

Dry both sides until completely brittle and almost white in color. They should feel firm like hardened cement when pressed down.

Step two: Score the inner surface of the coconut shell

Now score the solid inner layer of the coconut shell just enough to let some of the material inside come through.

Make a panpipe shell instrument

Panpipes are one of the most well-known musical instruments in the world! They date back thousands of years and have been used for various purposes depending on who is performing them and what style they are!

The word ‘panpipe’ comes from the Greek words pannon, which means beach or shore, and phunë, which means voice or sound. These early pan pipes were made out of bamboo and leather tubing that was sewn together and then stretched over a mouthpiece.

Since bamboos grow very quickly, it is not difficult to make your own pan pipe shells using coconut meat as the material! If you like the way this article inspired you, do something with music related art or writing and then add some bass by adding the word BUSY into your text. Your draft will now have two pieces connected by our topic and tone/mood.

Make a sheng shell instrument

A sheng (bell) instrument is made of coconut shells that have been thinned out and tuned. These instruments are typically played while ringing the shells like bells.

There are several ways to make this type of musical instrument. You can use a knife to cut along either the inner or outer edge, depending on which sound you want to achieve. Once you have your desired shape, you can tune it by rubbing the edges against each other or using a source of music energy, such as a bass drum.

You can also choose to bake the shells in a low oven temperature for an hour before tuning them. This helps dry out the material a little bit, making it more durable and effective at producing tone.

Reference: howtochina101.

Make a xylophone shell instrument

A xylophone is an interesting musical instrument that uses wooden or plastic bars shaped like a ladder, but with no rungs in between. Music can be made using this device by striking each bar hard with a mallet to create vibrations which are then heard as notes.

The hardest part of making a xylo-fon-e is creating the hollowed-out coconut shells! You will need about 10 small and 5 large coconuts for this project.

To make the first xylo shell, take one medium sized coconut and use a power tool or hand saw to cut a circle shape at the top. This tool works best if you have it pre-programmed for a circular blade style. Then drag the blade slowly down along the length of the coconut until only the very tip remains. Repeat this process several times to get some nice smooth curves.

Now place your first xylo shell aside and prepare yourself for the next step. To begin shaping the second half of the xylo shell, insert the handle into the hole left by the tip of the first shell. Once both pieces are connected, sand the outside of the second piece to give it a smoother look.

Your mind may wander here so let’s move onto the third and final stage of the xylo shell. Take your bamboo skewers and push them through either side of the second shell, just enough to hold the two halves together.

Make a glockenspiel shell instrument

Glckenspiels are striking musical instruments that use a circular disk made of metal clackers or rattles. The disks are struck with hammers, usually by hand, creating music. There are many types of glckenspiels!

The most well-known type is probably the chiming glockenspiel. Chimes glocks have several discs, which when hit create very different sounds depending on how they are aligned.

These flutter away quickly, so they must be rewound or stored after each song.

Making your own chiming glockenspiel requires some inexpensive materials like brass sheets and aluminum foil. You will also need wood glue, paper cups, and plastic bottles with narrow openings as covers for the bass drum tube.

This project was designed and tested using 5cm (2″) thick cardboard tubes. These can be found at any grocery store or office supply center. They are long enough to make five notes in a row, and you can cut them into shorter lengths if needed.

Charlie K

Charlie K is a music writer and blogger for Sounds of Gold. He also composes background music for a range of web-based businesses.