Image Copyright Coca-Cola The Basic Thump Image Copyright Coca-Cola

The basic thump is the simplest of all sounds to make with the can. Start with a full, unopened can. Grasp it firmly between thumb and fingers as shown at right. Special care should be taken to only grasp the lip of the can and the bottom edge. If the fingers come in contact with the sides if the can, the sound will be dull and muted.

Start out with the can held vertically. With your other hand, give the can a sharp thump midway up the side with your fingernail. The thump should be a sharp motion, with the middle finger pressed tense against the thumb, then released suddenly, as if flicking a bug off of a picnic table, or launching a paper football. You should hear a pleasant, bell-like tone.

The Vertical Thump

Once you have mastered the basic Vertical Thump, you can move on to the Horizontal Thump. Grasp the can as before, but horizontally. Again take care to avoid muting the sound with misplaced fingers.

Give the can a solid thump on it's side, approximately in the middle (at the widest point of the cylinder). You should hear a tinnier, warbling sound, as the liquid sloshes around in the can.

The Horizontal Thump

There are several more advanced methods you can try. You can attenuate the high, tinny frequencies during the attack portion of the sound envelope by making a rubber mallet. This will produce a somewhat fuller and more mellow sound. The mallet can be as simple as a pencil with a large novelty eraser, or a pen with several rubber bands wrapped around one end. I used a cheap 25 cent rubber ball with a plastic rod jammed into it. A rubber marimba mallet also works very well.

If you're very careful, you can also experiment with thumping with the can after it's opened, but I've found that the sounds are generally disappointing.

A different sound can also be made by rotating a still sealed can from vertical to horizontal while it is still ringing. Use a moderately fast, smooth motion. But, be careful not to shake the can overmuch. You'll eventually want to drink the contents!

The Vertical Thump Rotated to Horizontal

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