Kazoo

music · voice · silly sounds

Buzzing membrane magic. When you hum into a kazoo, a thin vibrating membrane inside creates a funny buzzing sound that changes your voice. It's like your voice is tickling something that buzzes back at you.

Your voice does the work. You don't blow air like a flute or trumpet, you hum or sing into it. The kazoo takes your voice and transforms it into something totally different and goofy.

Part of a special family. Kazoos belong to a group of instruments called mirlitons, which all have vibrating membranes that mess with sound. Some old mirlitons used a material called goldbeater's skin, which is super thin and papery.

Tiny cousin exists. There's a smaller version called a humazoo that works the same way but makes tinier, higher-pitched buzzy sounds.