Tube trumpet

Homemade tube trumpets are natural trumpets constructed out of a length of hose pipe fitted with a kitchen funnel. They are used as teaching aidscitation|title=Exploring the Brass Family|author=Pauline Soderholm|url=http://www.ckcolorado.org/units/3rd_grade/3_BrassFamily.pdf|pages=12|year=2002] , and by bands such as the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Bandcitation|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/southeast/sites/music/pages/review_bonzos.shtml|title=Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band|date=08 November 2006|author=Nicholas Whitehead] and Low Profile. [cite web
url=http://www.potentbrew.com/elephunk.html
title=Elephunk in My Soup
publisher=www.potentbrew.com
accessdate=2008-05-04
last=
first=]

Construction

As with the natural trumpet and bugle, the tube trumpet is a simple (valveless) brass instrument, and is therefore in principle limited to a single harmonic sequence, though by employing embouchure it can be made to produce a chromatic scale in the higher registers.

It can be constructed in any desired key depending on the length of tubing used; and a working tube trumpet can be retuned to a sharper pitch by trimming the hose. Once shortened it cannot be returned to its original or a flatter pitch.

Teaching aid

By using a three foot length of garden hose and taping on a plastic funnel the principles of sound vibration can be demonstrated to music students.

Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band

Unlike any other brass instrument, the tube trumpet is flexible, allowing the bell to be swung around the player's head. This gives it the unique ability to bend notes via the Doppler effect. This effect was demonstrated to good effect in an early hit of the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, "I'm the Urban Spaceman", which was reprised during their reunion tour.

Low Profile

Low Profile were a New Zealand alternative rock band of the 1980s who released two albums - Quiet Streets (1982) and Elephunkin' (1987), but are best remembered for their quirky single "Elephunk In My Soup", which included the use of a hosepipe trumpet they termed an Elephunk.

Hosaphone

A hosaphone is a name given to one such homemade trumpet, which was used to compose a Codetta in C for Hosaphone(tm), Piano & Bass. [cite web
url=http://hosaphone.com/codetta/
title=Hosaphone(tm) Headquarters - Codetta in C
publisher=hosaphone.com
accessdate=2008-05-04
last=
first=]

Hose-a-phonium

A typical tube trumpet was made by Uncle Phil in the comic strip "For Better or For Worse", which he termed a "hose-a-phonium". [cite web
url=http://www.fborfw.com/strip_fix/archives/002101.php
title=FBorFW.com is The Official Website of Lynn Johnston's comic strip For Better or For Worse.
publisher=www.fborfw.com
accessdate=2008-05-04
last=
first=]

Media

References

External links

* [http://www.expertvillage.com/video/9839_kids-music-trumpet.htm Expert Village instructions on making a tube trumpet]
* [http://www.leeds.ac.uk/reporter/421/s2.htm Leeds University homemade trumpet]
* [http://www.physics.montana.edu/demonstrations/apparatus/3_oscillationsandwaves/demos/homemadetrumpet.html Montana State university homemade trumpet]