Various tunes play from 4 bars to 8 bars of music in 2/4, 3/4 or 4/4 time depending upon the diameter of the cylinder. The older mechanism have wider cylinders and a movement can last three minutes or so when fully wound.

Making your own music box requires patience and precision, but the process is easier than you might think. Firstly choose a hinged wooden box and music box mechanism to create your music box. Then, simply decorate the hinged wooden box however you like and install the music box mechanism.

Music boxes that range from $30 to $10,000. After a few hundred dollars, the price tends to increase as you incorporate higher note movements of music. The bigger & better the mechanical movement inside the box, the more expensive it is.