The Ubiquitous Kazoo Trivia Quiz

Answer: mirliton

Mirlitons are a class of instruments with vibrating membranes inside them, such as the eunuch flute. Many mirlitons do not really produce sound and only alter outside noises, such as the human voice.

The kazoo is technically a singing membranophone, meaning that the sound is simply an altered version of an outside sound, and that the alteration is caused by the vibrations of a membrane.

Kazoos can be made of a variety of materials, such as wood, metal, plastic, and comb-and-tissue-paper. There are many different shapes of kazoos that can be made to imitate various woodwind and brass instruments.

Answer: Just blowing through the kazoo without humming

Many beginning players will just blow through the smaller hole, forcing them to choose between giving up quickly or looking like complete idiots. The trick is to hum or "sing" into the kazoo.

I strongly suggest partially covering the wider and more circular end or the membrane hole to produce a more "buzzy" and nasal sound. It doesn't make a major difference whether you completely surround the smaller end, however. Not many people actually try to blow into the membrane, and those who do usually figure it out pretty soon.

Puncturing the membrane is something that you should NOT do. It completely ruins the instrument, because the kazoo operates on the principle that if air is blown into it with limited space to escape, increasing pressure, the membrane will vibrate. If punctured, the air will just go through the hole. Also, NEVER stick the instrument up your nose, as this could be potentially damaging to the instrument and to you.

Answer: America

Yes, the kazoo is as American as apple pie, invented by a man named Alabama Vest in Macon, Georgia. He came up with the idea in the 1840's and teamed up with the German master clock-maker Thaddeus von Clegg to make it. However, metal kazoos weren't made until a taveling salesman named Emil Sorg teamed up with Michael McIntyre, a tool and die maker, to set up a factory in western New York in 1912. McIntyre later teamed up with Harry Richardson, a business owner, to produce the all-American kazoo.

Answer: 1923

The kazoo was patented in 1923 by Michael McIntyre.

Answer: Africa

The kazoo was developed from the African horn-mirliton, which was used to distort voices. Eunuch or eunuk flutes were the first European mirlitons, appearing in the 17th and 18th centuries. A huge, 2.13 meter mirliton was built for a Wagner opera, by the orders of Konig Ludwig von Bayern.

Answer: 1920s

Many jazz groups used the kazoo in the 20's to imitate trumpets and trombones. These include The Mound City Blue Blowers, which had a banjoist, two kazooists (each on a different type of kazoo), and occasionally a guitarist or other musician.

Answer: McKinney's Cotton Pickers

The Mound City Blue Blowers were famous for having two kazooists, Dick Slevin on metal kazoo and Red McKenzie on comb-and-tissue-paper kazoo. The Original Dixieland Jass Band (later changed to "The Original Dixieland Jazz Band") used a kazoo on their recording of "Crazy Blues", played by drummer Tony Sbarbaro, which could easily be mistaken for a trombone.

The kazoo enjoys mild popularity in pop and rock music, such as Paul McCartney on the 1974 version of "You're Sixteen", in which Ringo Starr sings. Bands that have used the kazoo include Pink Floyd, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Jethro Tull.

It's rarely used in modern classical music, although its popularity is growing.

Answer: Port Richey, Florida

Kazoobie, which sells half of a million kazoos annually, moved to Port Richey from Hilton Head, starting a whole new kazoo subculture there.

The Kazoo Factory, Museum, & Gift Shop of Eden, New York (once The Original American Kazoo Company) is the direct descendant of the shop opened by McIntyre and Richardson, founded in 1916.

Answer: Annie

Carol Burnett, who played Miss Hannigan, played a kazoo in the movie version of "Annie". The other three don't match up well, anyway. Just picture "Kazooist on the Roof". Or Hitler declaring that the kazoo is a symbol of Aryan brotherhood.

Answer: $148

With a black display box and bag thrown in, this is easily the most expensive item the website markets commercially. They are solid sterling silver except for the resonating membrane.