Published:
2015-04-02
Updated:
2017-01-27
Learning Ukulele with Curt
What is a Kazoo
The kazoo is a musical instrument that adds a "buzzing" timbral quality to a player's voice when the player vocalizes into it. It is a type of mirliton, which is a membranophone, one of a class of instruments which modifies its player's voice by way of a vibrating membrane.
Author(s): Curt Sheller Publisher: Curt Sheller Publications Code: KAZ-01
Main Category: Kazoo Main Instrument: Kazoo
Subjects: Chords
2017-01-27
The kazoo is a musical instrument that adds a "buzzing" timbral quality to a player's voice when the player vocalizes into it. It is a type of mirliton, which is a membranophone, one of a class of instruments which modifies its player's voice by way of a vibrating membrane.
A kazoo player hums, rather than blows, into the instrument. The oscillating air pressure of the hum makes the kazoo's membrane vibrate. The resulting sound varies in pitch and loudness with the player's humming. Players can produce different sounds by singing specific syllables such as doo, who, rrrrr or brrrr into the kazoo.
The first documented appearance of a kazoo was that created by an American inventor, Warren Herbert Frost, who named his new musical instrument kazoo in his patent #270,543 issued on January 9, 1883. The patent states, "This instrument or toy, to which I propose to give the name 'kazoo' "..." Frost's kazoo did not look like present-day submarine-shaped kazoos. The modern kazoo—also the first one made of metal—was patented by George D. Smith of Buffalo, New York, May 27, 1902.
If you want a great wooden kazoo made by good friends of ours and Funky Frets then visit AE Wooden Toys . They are a vendor at the Philadelphia Folk Fest with use Funky Frets every year and I think our grandchildren, TJ and Ali have their whole collection of wooden toys.