Vuvuzela

musical instruments · sports · sound

Plastic horn blast. The vuvuzela is a plastic horn about 2 feet long that produces one very loud, steady note. You blow into it like a trumpet, but instead of changing notes, it just makes one continuous sound.

Incredibly loud sound. The vuvuzela creates a monotone note that's typically around B flat 3 on the musical scale. The louder it sounds depends on how hard you blow and how much pressure you use.

Soccer stadium staple. Vuvuzelas became extremely popular at soccer matches, especially during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, where thousands of fans blew them to cheer for their teams.

Flexible two-part design. Some vuvuzelas are made in two separate pieces so they're easier to carry around, and this split design also lets you change the pitch slightly depending on how you hold the pieces together.

Many manufacturers. Different companies make vuvuzelas, and each one can produce different levels of loudness and different frequencies depending on how it's manufactured.