Take a deep breath and puff out your cheeks. Now blow out the air. Does the air make a sound as it rushes out of your mouth? It probably made a noise like rushing wind. You can make a louder sound with your breath if you blow into a tube.

Look around for some hollow objects. You could use a pen top, a hollow key, a straw or an empty bottle. Place the open end against your bottom lip. Push your top lip out slightly, then blow over the hole. You should be able to produce a strong whistle. Experiment by moving your lips until you hear a good sound.

You can also make a musical instrument using your breath and your hands. Cup your hands together as if you are holding a ball. Leave a small gap between your thumbs. Now rest your lips against the thumb joints and blow into your hands. Blow softly, then harder. Move your hands slightly until you get a rich sound like the hoot of an owl.

Musical vibrations

Do you know how blowing across a tube or into your hands makes a sound? When you blow into something hollow, the air inside the hollow container starts to vibrate.

Some of the vibrations escape from the container into the surrounding air and vibrate in waves, which we call sound waves. The waves travel to your ears, and these pick up the whistling sound.

People have been breathing into hollow objects to make musical sounds for thousands of years. The jaguar in the ancient Mexican wall painting is blowing into a large shell. Sometimes you will notice musicians from the Mehinack tribe in Brazil. They are blowing into hollow pipes to make a musical sound.

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dodoEntertainment, Music, Musical Instruments23 Nov, 2008