Q&A for How to Play the Kazoo

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Are there specific differences between plastic, metal and wood kazoos? Do they have different sounds or tones?

Community Answer

Yes. Metal kazoos have the lowest sound whilst the plastic ones have the highest. Wood is somewhere in between.

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Question

How do I make higher notes louder?

Community Answer

Push more air through it. You'll run out of breath faster, but it works.

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Question

Will a kazoo still make noise if there is only air blown through it?

Community Answer

No. It will not play any noise if air is blown through. It works on vibrations and pitch levels, not air.

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Question

How do I clean a plastic kazoo?

Community Answer

Running water through a plastic kazoo isn't the best idea because of the thin paper in the hole on the top of the kazoo that helps make the noise. A Q-Tip or piece of tissue would be safest.

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Question

Which stores sell kazoos?

Community Answer

Most party stores carry kazoos, but if you prefer a more professional kazoo, order it online or go to a music store.

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Question

My chorus teacher says I am humming through my nose. What does that mean and how do I fix it?

Community Answer

It means that you are pushing the air through your nose instead of through your mouth into the kazoo as you are playing, and it is making you play incorrectly. Try clogging your nose. Or, much simpler, listen to your teacher for advice on fixing it.

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Question

How do I clean a metal kazoo?

Community Answer

It’s no different than a plastic kazoo. You don’t want to damage the thin paper by using water, so use a cotton swab.

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Question

When I try to play long and fast songs, I always have to stop to breathe. How can I fix this.

Community Answer

Practice. Everyday, play a sustained note for as long as you can and try to break it. You can also do cardio workouts to improve lung capacity, and there are online breathing tutorials for wind players.

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Question

If I were to get the piece of paper wet, how can I make it sound normal?

Community Answer

You can just replace the paper.

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Question

What should I do if I removed the paper in the hole?

Community Answer

Put it back in! Just remember to line it up straight and not wrinkle it. I took the top thing off before, you just have to pop it back on.

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Question

I have an old kazoo. Where should the tissue paper go?

Community Answer

The tissue paper goes on the top. If the top part twists off, put the tissue paper/wax paper on the hole, close it in, and cut off any excess paper.

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Question

How do I conserve my breath for longer notes, songs with several notes in rapid succession, etc.?

Community Answer

Breathe from the diaphragm rather than the chest. You should feel your stomach expand to know you're getting the maximum amount of air.

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Question

How do I clean metal kazoo filters?

Community Answer

If your kazoo's top can be twisted off, your filter should pop right out. If it does, you can clean it with a cotton swab or cotton balls that are slightly damp.

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Question

I just bought a kazoo, and the top hole has a little plastic sheet. Do I take that off?

Emma Erasmus

Community Answer

You have to keep it in. That's what vibrates, creating the noise.

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Question

Do the plastic kazoos at Walmart work? How can I make it sound correct, if at all? I can never get any noise out of it.

Community Answer

The best way to make it sound correct would be to practice humming the pitches you are trying to play before actually playing.

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Question

When I try to play, it just sounds like my voice. Am I doing something wrong?

Community Answer

Make sure you are humming, not singing or talking. It should sound like a bee buzzing.

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Question

Is it wrong that i'm only able to play the kazoo by humming from the bigger hole and not the small one?

Community Answer

That is how it is supposed to work. It is not wrong. The small end is to help the sound vibrate through the kazoo.

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Question

Is a kazoo a woodwind instrument?

Community Answer

Yes, it is a woodwind instrument because you blow into it. It has a similar sound to a flute or recorder.

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