Yes, what you see below is the mother of all reed instruments. Maybe that’s an exaggeration. But it does hold a special place in my heart. A good way to get outside of your normal way of thinking about sounds and music is to play an instrument or use tools you’re absolutely unfamiliar with. Now, this may sound like horrible advice. Maybe it even is. I think it’s important, however, to make new neuronal pathways in your brain. The best way to do this is to try something new. And I think this applies to a lot more than just music.
Golden Master tooting his own horn
This baggerhorn was supreme feat of engineering that took years of dedication and focus to bring to fruition. Sorry, I’m in a hyperbolic mood. Anyway, constructing one is easy.
The materials:
1. Saxophone mouthpiece and reed.
2. PVC pipe.
3. Duct tape.
I am lucky enough to have a brother-in-law who plays saxophone professionally that has been willing to donate parts to my crazy-music cause. In fact, he has donated his talents as well. Last year, my friends from Makunouchi Bento (a great romanian electronic music duo) and I collaborated online to make an acoustic free-noise EP called “like a monkey without a cuckoo clock” that was released on Digital Biotope. you can hear it here:
The baggerhorns (I actually made two of them), Patrick’s saxophone, and The Bento guys’ recordings of other acoustic sounds (banging on an unplugged electric organ, for instance) can all be heard on this EP. Check it out!
Jebel Chamber Orchestra EP
Anyhow, assembling a baggerhorn is a simple affair. Find a round object. tape/glue/clamp a reeded mouthpiece to it. poke holes to taste. Lower notes need bigger holes, and don’t use a tube that is too narrow. That’s it! This is a very simple project that anyone could figure out on their own, but I’d love to hear about other fun easy projects people have tried, or made recordings of, like this. I was able to get some pretty good sounds!
