How to do it
5 steps. Tap one when it's done.
Begin with an empty bottle and add a little more water to each one.
All experimentsTune it with a jug of water
Bottle Xylophone
Six glass bottles, different amounts of water, a spoon. Tap them and you'll hear that more water means a lower note, then tune them until you can play something real.
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Time20 min
You geta six-note instrument
DifficultyEasyBarely a mess
SectionLearning
This one is all yours
Nothing sharp, nothing hot, nowhere far. Tell someone what you're up to, then go ahead and do it on your own.
Why that works
When you tap, the glass and the water shake together. More water means more stuff to shake, and heavy things vibrate slowly, so the note is lower. When you blow, it's the air inside that vibrates instead, and less air means a faster, higher note. Same bottle, opposite result.