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The Balloon HQ challenge this month is a banjo or guitar.
Some years ago I saw a simple banjo made from a single #260 balloon. It was one that could be played. Even though it only had one string, you could stretch it slightly to change the tone of the string. This month I'll show you my two balloon version of the playable banjo. It uses two balloons because one balloon doesn't have enough length to do it justice. I use a #160 to make the thumbscrews at the top of the banjo and a #260 for the body and string. Let's start with the thumbscrews.
Inflate about 6" of a black #160 and tie off the nozzle. Twist off two 1/2" bubbles and ear twist them. Twist off two 3/4" bubbles and two 1/2" bubbles. Ear twist the 1/2" bubbles. That completes the thumbscrews.
Inflate a green #260 balloon fully except for about 3-1/2" and tie off the nozzle. Twist off a 2" bubble. Twist-connect the center of the thumbscrew balloon to it.
Twist off a 9" bubble (the neck of the banjo). Twist off a long bubble such that you leave a 1" bubble at the end of the inflated section. Fold-twist the long bubble.
Pull the uninflated section of balloon between your fingers so that the air gets squeezed out of it toward the bubble at the nipple end. Take the small bubble at the nipple end and wrap it around the balloon loop at the bottom of the banjo. Arrange all of the bubbles to look like a banjo.
To play the banjo, press the heel of your picking hand against the bottom of the banjo and your stomach. This will anchor the banjo. To make it change tones, pull or relax the neck of the banjo as you pluck the "string". It will have a very limited tonal range, but often you can play songs like, "Happy Birthday".
