STRANGE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8170, 1 August 1906, Page 3

STRANGE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

An old cnnicd-bccf tin does not kciiukl altogether promising as a basis l'ov musical instrument. Yet an enterprising n>UM:-i:in ua.s recently seen ill!.'; upon ix fiddle, which lie had fashioned Irani tho aforementioned at'liclo with the aid of a piece of rough wood and (our catgut strings. This novel violin was p'.ayed with a stick in the pliieo of a bow.

The man v.a.i evidently proud of his ingenious mv. ntion, and had made no attempt to ti! guise the materials lined :n its construction, for tlio edge of the tin was jagged, as when first opuned. and the label even had not been removed, lie was wife in his generation, for tho cleverness of the making of the instrument ■..oukl bo far mure likely to bring him in coppers than the "music" ho might produce from it. Another instance of an article in everyday use being turned into account for tho manufacture of a musical inatrument is a banjo made from an ordinary cigar-box, with parchment stretched acn»s, and a wooden handle. This wni very ingeniously fashioned, the bridgo and screws being in their proper places, and tho correct number ol strinjjs used. An explorer tolls tho talo of a weird musical instrument which ho saw among tho natives of tho West Indian Islands some littlo time ago. It was composed of a human skull cut in half, tho skin of an animal being tightly stretched across tho upper part; to this was fastened ft human thigh-bone, from tho top of which a single string of gut was drawn to tho far side of tho skull. Tho method of playing this gruesomo instrument was to beat the drum part with a stick, and at the samo time twang tho solitary string, thus giving some crudo resemblance to a banjo, and a drum. As an accompaniment to this, another nativo kept timo by banging two largo pieces of wood together. As can bo easily imagined, this produces rather a doleful dirge. Tho fact that tho explorer witnessed this upon several festive occas out? shows that it was considered by the natives as perfectly serious music.

A few years ago, in a sido show of a country fair, n man was playing "tunes" by hitting himself on tho head with 11 small woodon mallet, and altering tho sounds by tho position of his tongue and cheeks, although this would bo rather painful for tho ordinary person to do. Somo idea of this way of producing different notes oau bo obtained by opening tho mouth and hitting oneself sharply on tlio cheek with a pencil, when, as the tongue, lips, and cheeks aro moved, different notes will bo heard distinctly. Tho head is not the only part of tho human framo that can be used for noteproducing, for by making a hollow of tho two hands, and blowing into it,, a clear note is heard, which can be easily altered by extending or closing the hollow ; and a much larger rango of notes is possible by this method than that of hitting tho cheeks, and, by practice, anyono can play simple tunes in this way quito easily. High notes are produced when the palms are close together, and get deeper as they aro extended. Also, by raising tho fingers one by one a scale can be played. Another impromptu musical instrument that ia within everyone's reach to try is that of filling a number of tumblers or wineglasses with water at different heights, and then tap the passes with a pencil, or with the b.igens. when different notes will bo heard, according to the height tho water reaches. A clever way of playing tunes was thought of by a man who cut some smooth reeds- of different lengths and stuck thorn firmly in the ground; then, with a pair of gloves which had boon rosined ho drew hi« fingers rapidly down tho reeds, which gave out a sonars to noto for each height from tho ground.

So skilfully did lio do this, and play many well-known airs—which, if a littlo harsh, were unmistakable—that he reaped a goodly harvest of coppers for liis novel lnupio.