Why blow your budget on fancy effects pedals and exotic instruments when your kitchen is already a goldmine of sound? If there’s one thing I’ve learned after years of working in Nashville’s studios, it’s that sometimes the best sounds come from the most unexpected places—like your grandma’s kitchen or that cluttered garage you’ve been meaning to clean out.
Let me tell you, the idea of using household objects in recording isn’t just some quirky gimmick. It’s a proven technique that’s helped some of the biggest names in the industry create iconic sounds. Remember when Jack White whipped out a Coke bottle and a few nails to create that gritty, bluesy slide guitar in It Might Get Loud? Or how Michael Jackson turned a Coke bottle into a percussion instrument on many of his songs. These guys know the power of thinking outside the box—or, in this case, inside the junk drawer.
Take that old metal trash can in your garage. You might see it as a rusty eyesore, but I see a potential powerhouse for a bass drum. The raw, metallic thump you can get from slamming a drumstick against it adds a gritty texture that no polished studio sample can replicate. Or how about that rusty cheese grater you’ve been meaning to replace? Give it a good scrape with a fork, and you’ve got yourself a snare sound that’s rough around the edges in the best possible way.
Then there’s the blender—a staple in every kitchen. Now, I’m not saying you should toss a mic in there and hit puree (unless you’re going for a real avant-garde, post-apocalyptic vibe), but turn it on and record the motor’s hum. Run that through some distortion, and you’ve got a sound that’s as industrial as it gets. It’s like Nine Inch Nails meets Chopped.
Pro Tip: Don’t limit yourself to the kitchen. Walk around your house and see what calls to you. That creaky old rocking chair in the living room? It could be the ghostly percussion your haunting ballad needs. And don’t even get me started on the bathroom—tiles and porcelain make for some killer reverb if you’re recording vocals or handclaps. Even The Rolling Stones recorded vocals for “Brown Sugar” and “Wild Horses” in a bathroom in Muscle Shoals because it had the sound they needed.
If you’re still not convinced, let’s talk about percussion. There’s a certain charm to the organic clatter of cutlery or the dull thud of a wooden spoon on a mixing bowl. It’s raw, unpolished, and incredibly human. When you use these kinds of sounds, you’re capturing something that no studio drum kit can offer—a little slice of reality. It’s the kind of thing that gives a track character and makes people wonder, “How did they get that sound?”
And here’s a little Nashville trick: If you’ve got an old washboard lying around, you’ve got the makings of a classic country rhythm section. Just ask any seasoned bluegrass player. They’ve been using washboards as makeshift percussion instruments for decades, and the sound is as authentic as it gets. Add a little distortion, and you’ve got a gritty, backwoods vibe that’s perfect for anything from folk to alt-country.
The beauty of using household objects in your recordings isn’t just in the sounds you create—it’s in the stories those sounds can tell. Each item you pick up has a history, and when you record with it, you’re not just capturing a sound; you’re capturing a moment in time.
So, the next time you’re struggling to find that perfect sound, don’t head to the music store—head to your kitchen, your garage, or your attic. The best instruments are often the ones you’ve had all along; you just need to hear them with fresh ears. And who knows? The next big hit might be hiding in your pantry, just waiting for you to crack open that old jar of buttons.
