Homemade Shoebox Banjo I reviewed the material list and searched around my house for the items I needed and found that we had most everything. I carefully reviewed the instructions on how to build a shoebox banjo and then proceeded to construct my instrument. Day 1, I gathered materials for my shoebox banjo. Items I gathered were shoe box, wood, fishing line, screws and glue. Day 2, my Mom and I went to the store to get the paint. Day 3, I measured the wood for my Dad and he cut the needed pieces for my instrument. Day 4, I assembled my instrument using the cut pieces and my Mom's glue gun to hold pieces intact. Day 5, I put my banjo in an old box on the basement floor and painted my instrument, it took a couple coats of paint. Then I added the screws and strings to my banjo. Day 6, my Mom helped me with the wording of my report and I typed it on our home computer. I also practice my oral report today. Throughout assembling my project I kept hand written notes and a rough draft for typing my report. My instrument has to be strummed or plucked to produce sound. Strumming can be done by using a small object called a "pick" or by brushing your fingertips across the strings. The tightness of the strings and placement of your fingers is what produce the sound. By placing my fingers at different areas on the neck of the banjo gives a different pitch. The faster I strum my banjo the faster the timbre. The force I use when strumming changes the dynamics.