How to make a personalised Music Box song

Here's a unique little gift idea for any composers/arrangers out there. These music boxes are easy to find online, then go to town creating a melodic arrangement...! An awesome and personal gift for someone.
If you like this video check out more of our music box recordings at: open.spotify.com/artist/3XmUT...
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[@justinnaramor6050]

Before this comment starts, I do apologize if the comment gets a little long :)) This music box thing is quite an interesting concept! There's one thing some folks might be wondering though: how do the holes in the strip actually cause the music box to play? Like, are the holes in the strip doing something that somehow triggers the notes? When I first heard about these particular types of music boxes (with the holes punched into strips), I wondered about this for quite a long time; I haven't really understood it. I'm also blind, so that's really the main reason I've not understood it. When I learned about the "traditional" music boxes (the ones that use a rotating cylinder that has pins attached to the cylinder for their music), it was totally obvious how it worked even if my blindness prevents me from seeing it. But with the music boxes that essentially play music by somehow recognizing "holes" in a strip of paper? I was like "what? that's weird! How the heck does that work? I don't understand"! Part of the problem is there's literally no clear information on the internet about how this music box works at all. I don't think it works like a player piano; a player piano also essentially uses holes in paper to play music, but it basically pushes a current of air through the holes which then operates the actual keyboard and hammer mechanism to play notes. But I don't think this music box works like that. The only thing online that clearly tells you how a music box works is when they're talking about the "traditional" music boxes I mentioned above. But how these "paper strips with holes"-style music boxes work is still a bit of a mystery. When I try googling how these punched-strip-style music boxes work, all I really get is advertisements for them, not any kind of explanation of how the holes in the strip actually allow notes to play! I'm also aware that this music box uses no electronics at all, so it can't be somehow "reading" the holes electronically. Anyways, would love to get a reply from you with your thoughts on this. Perhaps this could help me (and anyone else who reads this) try to better understand how it works. I already have an idea of what might be going on, based on (very, very, very few!) attempts from some people online who tried to explain it), but I'd like to get your ideas. Some people seemed to think it was actually 'reading' the music using some 'advanced' technology or something... that doesn't seem right though. I'm sort of under the impression that maybe it's not as difficult to imagine as I thought. I have somewhat of an understanding of what's actually happening with this device, but it would require a bit of a long explanation and this comment's already getting long :)))

[@alphao3012]

I remember having one ;c *that was like 7 years ago...* Now whenever I hear one it make me sad or nostalgic

[@unit-3650]

:

[@McStrangeRecords]

The power of the music box...

[@victortellez6846]

I don't know if anyone can help but i need this to be dummed down a little bit on how to go from a song to a music box.

[@McStrangeRecords]

You write the tune out on the strip of plastic/paper then punch holes where you have written the notes. This effectively tells the music box when to plink-a-tee-plonk when you start cranking the handle.

[@spikesiegel7922]

this was really helpful thanks

[@McStrangeRecords]

Thanks for the comment, glad it helped you! 👍

[@fruitypebbles9363]

I’ll do the merry go round broke down like that

[@greenzanman]

nice video! i want to make a music box for my sister that plays her favorite song, “1000 Times.” i am just very confused because i dont know all these music terms and things. -.-

[@shift9919]

You don't need to be musical to know. You just get the sheet music of the song you are attempting to make and copy the notes down in the same order onto your strip of paper. Make sure your doing the treble cleff though!

[@McStrangeRecords]

Hi greenzanman, if you ever want to dip your toe in the musical fountain of knowledge, check out my free course: www.udemy.com/share/101X3eB0MadV9XRn4=/

[@Numocron]

Wow man this is such an awesome video I love it.😃👍❤️😍🥰🎶🎵

[@madams989]

hello, i ordered one online, it’s done the song for me. But it’s on 3 strips - would you recommend sticking all the strips together so it plays one continuous song or just keep them separate?

[@gerriannabaja3156]

I just ordered online the materials needed and i also have the piano sheet already of the song I want but I don’t know how to transpose it to the strips and the spacing

[@McStrangeRecords]

Hi Geanne Baja, first transpose the music to the key of the musicbox i.e. if the music is in Bb major and the musicbox is C major, transpose all notes up a major second (or two semitones). The music may also need arranging to be played within the register of the musicbox. As for bars, in the video I mark the bar lengths along the top of the strip, I think I measured out 8 squares per bar in my example, as this accommodated 8 quavers in a 4/4 bar. This is subject to change depending on the shortest note value or time signature of your piece. Hope that helps in some way! 🙂

[@gerriannabaja3156]

Penny Music Co. Noted. Thank you so much! 😊

[@jellysfish5625]

I have the same problem :(

[@jellysfish5625]

I can't even transpose notes so that's quite hard. Is here someone who could help? It's a Zelda song that I need to transpose..Gerudo Valley

[@gerriannabaja3156]

I payed them for $6 but it’s just a part of the song. It’s more expensive if you want the whole so g

[@bossuntiger1488]

may i know what is the length and width of the 15 note strip? cuz i already have the pdf file ( got it from musicboxmaniacs), i dont have the actual strip, so i was planning to print it out on an A4 paper and test if it works on the 15note music box, But im not sure with the size of the strip, and im afraid it will not work out on the music box

[@n.h1911]

Bossun Tiger that's is actually a very clever idea but if it works

[@vaughnvaughn9965]

The paper needs to be fairly thick. 100 lb is too light to last.

[@MsAussie83]

+McStrange Music and Science I'd like to learn how to make a music box, but since I'm blind, I'm not sure where to start. I want to make a music box that plays "The Swan" by Camille Saint-Saens, and I want to put the movement into a figurine of a trumpeter swan, with one of those turntable winding keys. I've made the arrangement of the tune, but I'm not sure what kind of movement I would need, since there are some low notes and some high notes that may otherwise not be found on most movements. And putting it together might require a bit of sighted help, since I'm not sure how to operate a soldering gun, which could be dangerous if one is not careful.

[@McStrangeRecords]

Hi MsAussie, this sounds like a great project! Funnily enough I arranged The Swan for a similar music box to this, you can hear my arrangement/recording here if you like: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iqS2cqCYh9eIjMU I'd be really interested to hear your arrangement if you record it. As for making one of these, the one in the video is a basic model which was ordered on Amazon, and didn't require soldering of any kind. Hope that helps in some way!

[@MissusO]

I'd love to make one, but was wondering if the ends of the paper could be connected to loop the song? And could the whole mechanism be placed in a box?

[@vaughnvaughn9965]

Moebius strip music box composers abound. DIY people design all sorts of boxes. Wood fresonates & makes the sound sweeter and louder.

[@basketballguy17]

Is it possible to play sharps or flats in a music box?

[@McStrangeRecords]

Hi basketballguy17, Most Musicboxes (as far as I am aware) are diatonic (i.e. of a scale). This means accidental (#s and flats) outside the key of the musicbox are not possible. However, if the key of the piece you want to arrange for musicbox contains sharps or flats, then this can be transposed to suit the musicbox in question (assuming the piece is a different key to the musicbox). Hope that helps!

[@mymusicbox6806]

basketballguy17 there's 30 note music box with sharps and flats :)

[@F-Andre]

@@mymusicbox6806 but still misses some notes...

[@grisel3218]

Where i can buy a manivela please!! I from Bolivia

[@jasonwong4619]

Could you send me a link to the music box you have? I would like to make a personalised music box but don’t have the materials to make the thing, thank you

[@McStrangeRecords]

Hi Jason, sorry for the year late reply, but if you didn't get round to sourcing one it was this music box: www.amazon.com/dp/B000HAUEFY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_imm_AX5D794ASQJXQYM2CWC9

[@hienthuannguyen70]

I have a music sheet with beat 6/8 how can I program. Can you help me with this situation ? Thank you

[@McStrangeRecords]

Hi Hien, you can absolutely write in 6/8 for a music box. You would just have to divide your bars accordingly as you would on manuscript paper.

[@ivankolobov9502]

I don’t quite get how to convert sheet music into music box notes. And also, what about intervals?

[@McStrangeRecords]

Hi Ivan, you just quite literally write the music on to the paper reel, and then punch out the holes where the note heads would be. You can write intervals exactly as you would on sheet music, you would then punch out the holes one above the other.

[@YumiFireFox]

I'm having trouble with spacing the notes out on my own hand crank ones.

[@McStrangeRecords]

Yea, they don't give you a lot of room, sometimes you have to arrange the song a little to make it shorter. Or if you mean you are struggling to even out the notes, you can use a ruler to mark out/divide up each bar evenly then mark your notes.

[@jordanjoe7489]

I really impressed with this but idk anything about music i alrdy bought this music box and its arrived...but i only got a sheet from goggle and idk how to copy this to the paper ....hmmmmm i watch more than 10 videos still i cant :(

[@jordanjoe7489]

B B B C A A A A GE G G G B B B C A A A A GE G G G G A C D D D D D E C B A C B G A C DD D D D D D D E C B A C B F# F# F# G E E E E A B C B C E D E C B I only got this how to copy this to that paper

[@basil8380]

Is it possible to use sharps

[@McStrangeRecords]

Hey, as long as the sharps are part of the key signature, you can transpose to the key of the music box (i.e. As long as the sharps aren't accidentals or outside the key). The music box tends to be diatonic, so it would be like playing the white notes on a keyboard once you transpose your song. But you can always 'work around' accidentals, give it that music box flavour 😉

[@wizardsrobloxgamingchannel9628]

hello

[@aferianmistery2512]

WHAT KIND OF PAPER OR PLASTIC DO I NEED TO USE????

[@McStrangeRecords]

The pack normally comes with plastic strips that you use to make songs with. Pretty sure you can order spares online somewhere.

[@bellesantos609]

hello! may i know how to transpose notes with sharps and flats since there is no sharps and flats on music box. Thank you 😊

[@McStrangeRecords]

Thanks for your question! You can transpose the music in to C major (or A minor) to allow a key signature with no sharps or flats. For Accidentals in the music (sharps and flats outside the key signature) you are a bit stuck and so have to arrange the music to suit. I think some music boxes have sharps and flats, but not the one I work with...

[@fruitypebbles9363]

Do i copy the music sheets?

[@McStrangeRecords]

Yea, basically, but you may have to transpose it or arrange it a little to suit the notes of the music box your working with.

[@obyarch5897]

Can you provide tabs sheets?

[@valeriecheah1066]

Can It be 26 sec long?

[@McStrangeRecords]

Yes, absolutely. It will largely depend on how you space the notes and the rate at which you turn the handle, but there is plenty of room on a strip for a 26 second long song.

[@victorantongarciarodri8499]

Esto podría ser un hermoso detalle para alguien muy amado, por ejemplo 🤔

[@jaimeiglesias9881]

I appreciate the video but I could not get it. You say it's copy and paste, but not quite. I don't know how-to read music, how much space between the notes is OK, this video is fine but not very helpful for the ignorant like me in music matters.