“More cowbell!” you may be thinking. But how are they made? Let’s look at the creative use of metal to make a musical instrument.
I got to work with metal a little bit in school shop class. We were given rods and had to make screwdrivers by heating and pounding the metal. It wasn’t hard to get the shape right, but to get the metal to the proper hardness was a bit of a challenge. I think we also spot-welded some small metal boxes.
This cowbell-making project wouldn’t scare me to attempt, but it would require quite a few specialized tools that are not in my toolbox.
This time-lapse video shows the making of a cowbell for use with a drum kit, but the principle would apply to cowbells for heifers as well. Stay tuned through to the end to hear a comparison of the manufactured vs. homemade bells.
Note: there’s a great variety of cowbell sounds available to musicians. Some produce low rounded tones, some have higher pitches, others have creases and produce multiple tones, some ring, some sound more like woodblocks. The materials and shapes, plus where you hit the cowbell makes a difference.
Some bonus creativity: drums made from plastic tubs!
No need to buy welding equipment to get percussive this weekend. Just grab some paint buckets and plastic tubs, and get your go go groove on:
