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PVC fun: Stamping Tubes

 In the early 90's I was approached by the Pikes Peak Community College to teach a class on World Music. I adapted some of the projects from my middle school curriculum and added a few more. The most successful project was 'stamping tubes'. Otherwise none as 'tamping' or 'pounding' tubes, these were long pieces of wood that were used to pulverize grain such as millet for meal preparation. This implement  used in many cultures around the world usually by women in small groups. Songs or chanting accompanied the pounding. This not only relieved the boredom of the work but also allowed it to be done in a more efficient way. More importantly, it provided another way of bonding in the community.

Sometimes bamboo stalks were used, and being hollow they would produce a more resonant sound and by using different diameters and or lengths they would produce specific pitches.

For my stamping tubes I used 2" diameter PVC pipe in lengths from 10" to 3'. I chose to use the Pentatonic scale (F#, G#, A#, C#, D#) to simplify performing. 10 tubes were made (2 octaves) to allow 5-10 people to perform at any given time. Caps were glued on the ends.


The closed end of the tube is tapped on a carpeted floor, producing a hauntingly short, resonant sound with an exact pitch. Their performance consisted of the traditional hocketing technique of melody/rhythm, but also a harmonic style (double stops and chords).

Thoughts:

  1. Someday I'll fill in all of the notes to get a 2 octave chromatic scale.
  2. Notation could be similar to 'hand bells' .






 

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