Making tunes with a gum leaf

@JudyEv (338640)

Rockingham, Australia

June 11, 2024 7:27pm CST

Mention was made last night of a ‘gum leaf band’. This is what the name suggests – a bunch of people using gum (eucalyptus) leaves to play tunes. Did you ever play music using tissue paper over a comb? The sound is a bit similar. I have a book about playing tunes on gum leaves but you don’t really need a book. You hold the gum leaf between the thumbs and blow across the opening, similar to blowing a reed instrument. The practice is particularly associated with aboriginal culture. The old aboriginal man who played a leaf on last night’s TV show mentioned leaves from a ‘turpentine tree’ (Syncaarpia glomulifera) or yanderra as being suitable for leaf-blowing. These trees are native to New South Wales and Queensland but other gum leaves are used too. There are various YouTube videos where you can see and hear a gum leaf being played. The photo is mine of one of our magnificent eucalypts. And here is a link to see gum-leaf blowing in action. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=581158229978154

21 people like this

20 responses

@FourWalls (67380)

• United States

12 Jun

Isn’t that the tree the kookaburra sat in?

Now you know that I just had to go to You Tube and find more videos of people making music on a gum leaf. There’s one of “Amazing Grace” featuring a gum leaf. Amazing!!!

3 people like this

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@FourWalls (67380)

• United States

12 Jun

@JudyEv — yes, ma’am. When it comes to music it’s pretty easy to get me down a rabbit hole.

4 people like this

@JudyEv (338640)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Jun

@FourWalls There are worse things to do.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (338640)

• Rockingham, Australia

12 Jun

No doubt a kookaburra or three has sat in that very tree! lol Went down a rabbit hole, did we??

3 people like this

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@kareng (59050)

• United States

12 Jun

Nope, only thing I ever played was a recorder in school. I didn't care for that much. I did learn basic guitar for a while but didn't keep it up.

3 people like this

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@kareng (59050)

• United States

14 Jun

@JudyEv Or exciting!

2 people like this

@JudyEv (338640)

• Rockingham, Australia

12 Jun

Recorders sound good when they're played well but otherwise they're not very inspiring.

2 people like this

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@BarBaraPrz (47125)

• St. Catharines, Ontario

12 Jun

We used to do it with blades of grass when kids.

3 people like this

@JudyEv (338640)

• Rockingham, Australia

12 Jun

I've never tried it with grass.

2 people like this

@rebelann (112738)

• El Paso, Texas

12 Jun

I don't recall ever playing any kind of instrument when I was little.

3 people like this

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@rebelann (112738)

• El Paso, Texas

12 Jun

Wow, you're so lucky

2 people like this

@JudyEv (338640)

• Rockingham, Australia

12 Jun

I was taught piano and later played in a brass band.

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@xFiacre (12912)

• Ireland

12 Jun

@judyev That comb thing always gave me an itchy nose and I do recall making noise blowing through a leaf or maybe it was grass. Grass I think.

3 people like this

@JudyEv (338640)

• Rockingham, Australia

12 Jun

I remember having an itchy nose from it and a fuzzy lip.

2 people like this

@kobesbuddy (78882)

• East Tawas, Michigan

12 Jun

Yes, I played a comb, covered with waxed paper! It's a buzzing, type of music:)

3 people like this

@JudyEv (338640)

• Rockingham, Australia

12 Jun

I remember it making my lips tingle.

2 people like this

@kobesbuddy (78882)

• East Tawas, Michigan

12 Jun

@JudyEv Yes, that buzzing sound made my lips vibrate!

2 people like this

@GardenGerty (160488)

• United States

12 Jun

Would be about the same as blowing across blades of grass. Large grasses. Fun that people manage to have a band.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (338640)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Jun

I keep hearing about using grass but I haven't seen that.

1 person likes this

@snowy22315 (179715)

• United States

12 Jun

That is fascinating. It is amazing what people can use to make instruments..goes way beyond the whistles my grandad showed us how to make from a blade of grass.

3 people like this

@JudyEv (338640)

• Rockingham, Australia

12 Jun

Others have mentioned using grass. I haven't seen or heard of that before.

2 people like this

@allknowing (135313)

• India

13 Jun

We used to keep a leaf in between two broken pieces of the broken flower pot and blow and yes it made a nice sound. I had gum trees while we were in the city and wish I had known this then.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (338640)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Jun

That's interesting about the leaf and flower pot pieces.

2 people like this

@LadyDuck (470745)

• Switzerland

12 Jun

I did not know that eucalyptus leaves are good to play tune. We had some of those trees in Monte Carlo, but no one here.

2 people like this

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@LadyDuck (470745)

• Switzerland

12 Jun

@JudyEv I remember kids doing this in the past.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (338640)

• Rockingham, Australia

12 Jun

Quite possibly other leaves work as well. In fact, I'm sure they do.

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@TheHorse (217891)

• Walnut Creek, California

12 Jun

Will give it a listen.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (338640)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Jun

It's a bit different I guess.

1 person likes this

Valerie J. Routhieaux

@just4him (317004)

• Green Bay, Wisconsin

12 Jun

When I was a kid, I would take leaves and blow them to make music. It was fun. I haven't done it since I was a kid. I didn't know you could make a band out of blowing them or that certain leaves were used for it.

2 people like this

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Valerie J. Routhieaux

@just4him (317004)

• Green Bay, Wisconsin

12 Jun

@JudyEv Yes, it would.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (338640)

• Rockingham, Australia

12 Jun

I hadn't heard about bands until I researched it. A lot played together would sound pretty good.

2 people like this

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@Ronrybs (19003)

• London, England

13 Jun

I remember at school some of the kids did that with a blade of grass. I was totally lacking in the musical talent to make any sound!

2 people like this

@JudyEv (338640)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Jun

I haven't seen it done with a blade of grass. Maybe I need to research YouTube to see it done that way.

2 people like this

@Ronrybs (19003)

• London, England

14 Jun

@JudyEv I wonder if that is where the idea for reeds in instruments came from?

2 people like this

@JudyEv (338640)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Jun

@Ronrybs It could well be. Maybe I need to research that too!

2 people like this

@grenery8 (9649)

• Zagreb, Croatia (Hrvatska)

13 Jun

i heard about aboriginal men playing this. respect. i couldn't even whistle so, not good with these things

2 people like this

@JudyEv (338640)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Jun

Me either. I think I'd be pretty bad with it.

2 people like this

@grenery8 (9649)

• Zagreb, Croatia (Hrvatska)

15 Jun

@JudyEv i tried though but no sound from my mouth.

2 people like this

@popciclecold (38544)

• United States

12 Jun

I've never heard that before, interesting.

1 person likes this

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@popciclecold (38544)

• United States

17 Jun

@JudyEv Live and learn.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (338640)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Jun

I hadn't heard of people using grass but many are telling me about it.

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@jstory07 (139336)

• Roseburg, Oregon

12 Jun

That is interesting to see people playing on a gum leaf.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (338640)

• Rockingham, Australia

12 Jun

There is a bit of a knack to it but once you get the hang of it, it's not too hard.

2 people like this

@Tampa_girl7 (50080)

• United States

12 Jun

I tried to make sounds and music out of many things when I was a child. Lots of fun.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (338640)

• Rockingham, Australia

12 Jun

It's amazing what you can get a tune from if you're a bit inventive.

1 person likes this

@RasmaSandra (79362)

• Daytona Beach, Florida

12 Jun

I remember in my younger days seeing people make music with wide blades of grass, Perhaps this is similar,

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (338640)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Jun

I guess it is similar but I haven't seen it done with grass.

2 people like this

@LindaOHio (176652)

• United States

12 Jun

Thank you for the link. Great photo. Have a good day.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (338640)

• Rockingham, Australia

12 Jun

I love trees and have taken photos of lots of pretty ones.

2 people like this

@Beestring (14468)

• Hong Kong

12 Jun

Yes, I've seen people playing tunes on a gum leaf. It was interesting.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (338640)

• Rockingham, Australia

12 Jun

It's a bit amazing that you can get a sound out of them.

2 people like this