Rolf's instrument was originally made from a special type of plywood known as hardboard. It is played by holding the board lengthwise, hands at the sides and flicking the board outward, making the characteristic "whoop-whoop" noise. This sound is slightly comparable to the sound of flicking a turntable. The angle the board is held at and the way the board is 'flicked' can alter the timbre of the wobble board.