In 2006, I discovered “Boomwhackers.” They are plastic pitched percussion tubes made in various lengths, in all colors of the rainbow. Since I enjoy using looping technology to layer sound, I wanted to be able to layer Boomwhackers into "soundscapes." Again, my father (pictured here with me) came to my aid in helping me build a two octave tube stand that resembled a piano, complete with black and white rods. (Note: with the black caps, which are called "Octavators," the notes of the lower octave can be dropped an additional octave, thereby making the range three octaves. See below.)
To watch me play exclusively with the Boomwhackers in a fun rendition of “Heart and Soul,” click this screen.
To watch me intersperse the Boomwhackers with guitar for a new version of “Carol of the Bells,” click this screen.
The "Piano" Boomwhackers Stand:
Two (or three) chromatic octaves at my fingertips in a colorful display
d text.
The "Piano" Boomwhackers Stand was debuted in concert on September 7, 2006.
My pursuits with this device are ongoing. In addition to using the tubes for audience participatory version of "Name that Tune" (complete with "Heart and Soul" accompaniment with "Octavated" bass tubes,) I am composing new songs incorporating them which I plan to unveil eventually. I like the way the Piano stand looks onstage during the concert, and I enjoy hearing people as they come into a venue when they ask "What are those, and how is he going to use them during the show?"
To learn about my new Boomwhackers stand which I call “The Decapod,” please click here.
My father customized three folding music stands, reinforcing them with shelving braces.
The third music stand supported a 2’ x 4’ piece of wood with neoprene on it (this became the “boom block” surface on which I would hit the tubes.)
He made large wooden piano keyboards for two of the stands, with raised black keys.
Each key had a PVC coupler on it. We even put padded black and white circles around the bases of the couplers, so that the tubes wouldn’t “talk” as I quickly placed them back on the stand.
We cut 1/2" PVC pipe in lengths that were exactly half of the tube length they would each support.
Here's what the full tube assembly looks like, in a 2 octave configuration.
To achieve a 3 octave span, I simply placed the black "Octavator" caps on the bass set of tubes.
By the laws of physics, if you cap an antinode (one end of an open tube) you decrease the airflow drastically, reducing the sound wave to 1/4 of its wavelength. This makes the tube sound an octave lower.
By applying the "Octavator" caps I was able to reach the following corresponding notes on a real piano.
These lengths were capped on top, and a coupler was glued to the bottom. The rod lengths were labeled chromatically, and the black keys were colored black with permanent marker. I even used "puff paint" along the tops of the bass couplers, so that the tubes wouldn't catch on the edges.
It covers the following corresponding notes on a real piano.
