Idiophone musical instruments maker

Idiophone musical instruments makers create and assemble parts to make idiophone instruments to specified instructions or diagrams. They shape, drill, sand and string the parts that are mostly made out of glass, metal, ceramics or wood, clean, test the quality and inspect the finished instrument.

Includes people producing smaller musical instruments or accessories, such as metronomes, tuning forks or musical boxes.

The following job titles also refer to idiophone musical instruments maker:

bow maker
rattle idiophone maker
idiophone musical instrument maker
idiophone musical instrument builder
scraper idiophone maker
percussion idiophone maker
concussion idiophone maker
bell maker
plucked idiophone maker
idiophone musical instruments builder
idiophone maker
bow rehairer
friction idiophone maker
bell neck hammerer

No formal educational credential is generally required to work as an idiophone musical instruments maker.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Idiophone musical instruments maker is a Skill level 2 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to idiophone musical instruments maker.

electronic musical instrument maker
harpsichord maker
piano maker
harp maker
musical instrument technician

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of idiophone musical instruments maker. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of idiophone musical instruments maker with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

bridge inspector
taxidermist
carpenter supervisor
art handler
talent agent

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of idiophone musical instruments maker.

• Musical instruments: The different musical instruments, their ranges, timbre, and possible combinations.
• Woodturning: Process of shaping wood on a lathe and its types, namely spindle turning and faceplate turning.
• Organic building materials: The types and processing of organic materials to build products or parts of products.
• Metalworking: The process of working with metals to create individual parts, assemblies, or large-scale structures.
• Musical instruments materials: The characteristics of composite materials, felts, glues, leathers and skins, metals and precious metals, woods and wood derivatives to create musical instruments.

These skills are necessary for the role of idiophone musical instruments maker.

• Restore musical instruments: Restore old musical instruments to their original condition and conserve them in that state.
• Repair musical instruments: Attach new strings, fix frames or replace broken parts of musical instruments.
• Create musical instrument parts: Design and create parts such as keys, reeds, bows, and others for musical instruments.
• Maintain musical instruments: Check and maintain musical instruments.
• Decorate musical instruments: Create designs on musical instruments by using methods such as embossing, piercing, painting, woodworking, weaving, and other methods.
• Apply a protective layer: Apply a layer of protective solutions such as permethrine to protect the product from damage such as corrosion, fire or parasites, using a spray gun or paintbrush.
• Assemble musical instrument parts: Assemble parts together such as the body, strings, buttons, keys, and others to create the final musical instrument.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of idiophone musical instruments maker. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Acoustics: The study of sound, its reflection, amplification and absorption in a space.
• Metal joining technologies: The various technologies used for the joining and assembling of fabricated metal workpieces.
• Conservation techniques: The procedures, instruments, techniques, materials and chemicals used in conservation and archiving.
• Technical drawings: Drawing software and the various symbols, perspectives, units of measurement, notation systems, visual styles and page layouts used in technical drawings.
• Metal forming technologies: The variety of technologies and techniques, such as forging, pressing, stamping, rolling and others, used for the forming processes of metal product manufacturing.
• Sales promotion techniques: The techniques used to persuade customers to purchase a product or a service.
• History of musical instruments: The historical background and chronology of various musical instruments.
• Wood cuts: Different ways of cutting wood, across the grain or parallel with it, and radial or tangential to the core. The behaviour of cuts of wood under different circumstances and the optimal cut for a given purpose. Influence of special attributes of the wood, like knots or defects.
• Types of wood: Types of wood, such as birch, pine, poplar, mahogany, maple and tulipwood.
• Musical instrument accessories: The process of creating musical instrument accessories, such as metronomes, tuning forks or stands.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of idiophone musical instruments maker. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Pass on trade techniques: Pass on knowledge and skills, explain and demonstrate the application of equipment and materials and answer questions about trade techniques for the manufacturing of products.
• Apply restoration techniques: Select and apply appropriate restoration techniques in order to achieve the required restoration goals. This encompasses preventive measures, remedial measures, restoration processes and management processes.
• Join wood elements: Bind wooden materials together using a variety of techniques and materials. Determine the optimal technique to join the elements, like stapling, nail, gluing or screwing. Determine the correct work order and make the joint.
• Evaluate restoration procedures: Evaluate the outcome of conservation and restoration procedures. Evaluate the degree of risk, success of treatment or activity and communicate the results.
• Manipulate wood: Manipulate the properties, shape and size of wood.
• Estimate value of musical instruments: Identify new or second hand musical instruments and estimate the market value of them based on professional judgment and knowledge of musical instruments, or subject them to estimation by a third party.
• Stain wood: Mix ingredients to create a stain and apply a layer to the furniture to give it a specific colour and finish.
• Identify customer’s needs: Use appropriate questions and active listening in order to identify customer expectations, desires and requirements according to product and services.
• Verify product specifications: Check heights, colour and other attributes of finished product against specifications.
• Design musical instruments: Develop and design a musical instrument according to customer specification.
• Estimate restoration costs: Estimate the cost implications of restoring and replacing products or parts.
• Sand wood: Use sanding machines or hand tools to remove paint or other substances from the surface of the wood, or to smoothen and finish the wood.
• Dye wood: Mix the powder dye with water and/or liquid dye and any other necessary ingredients to create the desired colour and apply it to the wood.
• Cut metal products: Operate cutting and measuring instruments in order to cut/shape pieces of metal into given dimensions.
• Select restoration activities: Determine restoration needs and requirements and plan the activities. Consider the desired results, the level of intervention required, evaluation of alternatives, constraints on actions, stakeholder demands, possible risks and future options.
• Trade in musical instruments: Buy and sell musical instruments, or serve as an intermediate between potential buyers and sellers.

7312 – Musical instrument makers and tuners

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References

1. Idiophone musical instruments maker – ESCO
2. Featured image: By Soinuenea – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0