Making Bones

[Jefferson Guards]

On the old forum there was a great thread on how to make a set of bones. Does anyone have this saved and can repost it, or does anyone have any recomendations on how to make a set?

Thanks!

[yeoman]

Sir, this may seem a late response but I just now came across your thread. I have heard rhythm "bones" before but forgotten about them. I did a little search and came up with a couple of nice sites. Go to, http://www.bonedrymusic.com , a nice site for "bones". Also try, http://rhythm-bones.com , this is Scott C. Millers site, click press kit then sound clips to minstrel tunes on "you tube". Real neat stuff and easy to carry, worth trying to learn. Thanks for bringing 'em up.

[Amtmann]

If you don't get around to making any:

http://www.andysfronthall.com/paypal/bones.html

The Hickory are LOUD.

[VIrginia Mescher]

We carry wooden "bones" as well on our approved vendor website (raggedsoldier.com).

As far as making them, I haven't seen instructions but, considering the shape of wooden bones, I'd expect you would take two large rib bones of a cow or pig, boil them, and cut to length. Considering how my ebony bones play, I'd expect you would get a good bounce from the hard surfaces but I'd also expect the real bones to be more brittle.

If you want another skeletal instrument, one musician I saw had a horse jawbone with the teeth still in place. When you hit it from the side, the teeth buzz in their sockets. Which is probably what was being referred to in the chorus of Stephen Foster's song, "Angelina Baker" which went:

"Angelina Baker!
Angelina Baker's gone
She left me here to weep a tear
And beat on de old jaw bone."

Michael Mescher