Cola bottle instruments

These fascinating, tunable instruments are made from used Coke bottles. They must be this shape and the 2litre size to work

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it should be straightforward, any questions, just ask

Materials Required -

• One x 2 litre Coke bottle per note -Wash the bottle and leave it upside down to drain and dry overnight
• One tyre (tire) valve per note - ask at your local tyre repair shop
• Bicycle pump - to fit the tyre valve of course

Tools

• Drill & drill bit (10-12mm or 3/8"- 1/2")
• Silicone sealant or similar.

Method

• Make a hole in the bottle cap that is 2mm smaller than the bottom of the tyre valve. This is to enable the valve to squeeze tightly into position.
• Push the valve through the cap from the inside until it is jammed in the hole. The tighter the better as this gives the best air seal
• Squeeze the silicone sealant into the back of the cap until it reaches about 5mm or 1/4" deep. Be careful not to get any into the airway.
• Turn the cap upside down, gently lower the bottle into it and slowly screw the cap on - watch out for sealant entering the airway.
  • It's best to put a little pressure in the bottle as the silicone dries
• I'd not play them too hard until the day after and even then...

Tuning the bottles

• Attach the air pump and pump once. It is surprising how little air it takes to increase its musical note significantly
• Raise the note until it is above where you want it to be
• release air from the valve to lower the note to the desired pitch

Playing the bottles

• Normally the bottles are struck against the opposite hand, against the body, against each other (produces a chord) or against whatever won't damage them.
• You will find that there are different places to strike the bottles, any of its lower rounded surface are good but the lower base itself is too stiff.
• They can be mounted in a frame and played like a percussion keyboard - I've seen Evelyn Glennie do this
• There are infinite ways to play them but imagine sword fights, juggling routines....

Extras

They can be made without the sealant but they are often leaky and hard to keep in tune