I cannot find an explanation of what these are and how to use them. (I know nothing about music.) They were recommended for my special needs daughter.

Boomwhackers are tuned percussion tubes that are lightweight, hollow and made of high density polyurethane. They are color coded by note, and tuned to a musical pitch by length. For example the red tube makes the musical note of C when gently hit against anything ie. your hand, floor, table, etc. In general the shorter the tube the higher the note, so you would have a longer red tube for middle C, and a shorter red tube for a high C. I recommend getting a book/cd/dvd in addition to the Boomwhackers which will teach you how to play a variety of songs. The Play Boomwhackers Dvd is great for beginners as it shows you how to play the song by demonstrating it.

We would like to buy these for our families annual News Years Day gathering. Which sets or sets would you recommend for a group of 15 kids and adults?

What a great idea!! Depending on the musical abilities of each person, you probably want to have 2 tubes per person (some adults can handle 3 or 4, some children only 1...you know your family...). If, for example, you're all experienced handbell players, I would love to see/hear a family gathering using the bass C major diatonic & chromatic sets, as well as the "Middle C" diatonic & chromatic sets and the Treble C extension set (unless you're going to play everything in C major, then get the 2 diatonic sets and the Treble C extension set). If you don't have the room for the bass C set, just get double "Middle C" sets and 2 sets of Octavator caps. If you are NOT all that experienced, and just want the fun of trying them out, one per person would be plenty, so you could just get one set of 2 octaves (either bass C and middle C or 2 middle Cs with a set of Octavator caps).Gosh, did that make sense...?Experienced musical family: option I: bass c diatonic & chromatic, middle c diatonic & chromatic, and treble extension set. option II: 2 x middle C diatonic & chromatic, and treble extension plus 2 sets of Octavator caps.Not too experienced musical family: option I: bass C & middle C diatonic (with or without treble C extension). option II: 2x middle C diatonic, one set of Octavator caps (with or without treble C extension set).If this was not clear enough, please do not hesitate to ask me again....Happy New Year! Dawn :D

How easily do these break? Will they withstand being struck on something with an edge?

they're plastic so they are breakable but they are pretty robust. Our grandson bangs them against the edge of the table and they're still fine after 1 3/4 years of use.

Can I use them outside? Thinking of attaching them to a fence.

Yes Boomwhacker Tuned Percussion tubes can be used outside. Prolonged exposure to the sun (inside or outside) however will cause the tubes to warp and will change the sound.

Included components	not included
Manufacturer	Boomwhackers
Item Weight	454 g
Product Dimensions	66.04 x 17.78 x 3.81 cm; 453.59 g
Item model number	BWDG
Color Name	Multicolor
Material Type	Plastic
Country Produced In	USA
Size	-inch

BoomWhackers C Major Diatonic Scale Set-BWDG

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