How to Play the Kazoo

The only things you need to play the kazoo are a functional kazoo that has all its pieces, a mouth, a throat, and lungs. Make sure the kazoo has a resonating membrane, because this is the most important part of the kazoo, and it won’t work without it.

Step 1: The Correct Side of the Kazoo

A mistake most people make is that they use the back end of the kazoo as the mouthpiece. The actual mouthpiece is the thick end of the kazoo, which is the end the membrane is closest to.

Step 2: Kazooing Position

When you’re going to play the kazoo, press the kazoo against your lips, but make sure you don’t put it in your mouth. You would have to purse your lips to play it, and that would tire you out.

Step 3: Playing the Kazoo

Once your ready, hum into the kazoo. When you hum, make sure your lips aren’t completely closed. The kazoo works better when your lips are in a blowing position while you hum.

Step 4: Playing Music With the Kazoo

Now that you can make the kazoo create sounds, playing music on the kazoo is simple. Since playing the kazoo is essentially humming, you can play any song you know how to hum on the kazoo. When you hum at a higher pitch, the kazoo sounds at a higher pitch, and vice versa.

Step 5: Tips to Keep in Mind

When playing the kazoo, you can emphasize a note by starting it with a t-sound or k-sound. These sounds build up a bit of pressure in your mouth and release it, making a sharper and more noticeable sound. Another tip is that if you can roll your r’s, you can use that to create a unique sound that makes notes sound deeper.