Grades K–2 · Arts & Music
How does a kazoo turn a hum into a buzz?
A kazoo does not make its tune just by being blown like a whistle. The player hums. That voice sends quick changes in air pressure into the little tube.
A thin sheet, called a membrane, sits over an opening. The changing pressure makes it shake. Its shaking adds a buzzy sound to the hum coming from the player.
Follow the wave marks from the mouth into the tube and up to the membrane; they stand for pressure changes.
The player’s voice still supplies the tune. A higher hum makes a higher note, while the thin sheet helps change the sound’s character. A loose, torn or poorly fitted sheet can change how the kazoo responds.
Two things can make the same tune sound different. A kazoo lets us hear that pitch is not the whole story: the way vibrations combine helps give a sound its own voice.
About this explanation
The drawing enlarges membrane motion and shows a typical design; the kazoo’s response depends on its construction.
Starting knowledge: Know that humming uses the voice and that shaking things can make sound.
Sources
- Science World — Homemade Kazoo