How the Boomwhacker makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the Boomwhacker belongs to the free aerophones: the vibrating air is not enclosed in the instrument.
More broadly it is one of the aerophones (wind instruments), where sound comes from vibrating air.
Players shape its sound through technique and materials; the resonating body filters the raw vibration, boosting some harmonics and damping others.
From Wikipedia
A Boomwhacker is a percussion instrument in the plosive aerophone and idiophone family. They are lightweight, hollow, color-coded, plastic tubes, tuned to a musical pitch by length. They were first produced by Craig Ramsell through his company Whacky Music in 1995. The term is now a registered trademark by Rhythm Band Instruments.
Other free aerophones
Frequently asked questions
What does the Boomwhacker sound like?
As one of the free aerophones, its sound comes from the way the vibrating air is not enclosed in the instrument.
What type of instrument is the Boomwhacker?
It is classified as free aerophones (Hornbostel–Sachs 413).
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q893045 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Boomwhacker – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Andrew Watson from Silver Spring, MD, USA – CC BY-SA 2.0