Kids love to make music!
Making their own musical instruments is a great way to explore what creates sounds-- and what changes the pitch.
TOOT A TUNE:
Start by letting children explore how air vibrating produces sound. Then explore how varying the amount of vibrating air changes the pitch--how high or low the tone sounds.
What you need: plastic straw, scissors.
What to do:
1. Snip off one end of the straw to form a V-shape. Nip off the point. Flatten the cut end by pressing it against a table top with a thumbnail.
2. Blow on the V-shaped en of the straw. That acts like a reed in a wood wind instrument and make the air blowing through the straw vibrate. PRESTO! A sound.
3. Snip off the straw to change its length. Blow again to hear the new sound this makes.
Now, get together with a group of friends. Have each make a Next, make each a little shorter than the one before. And tape all five together so they are side-by-side.
Try making up a tune to play with your straw instrument that's a different length. Toot sounds together and one-after-the-other. Just for fun, make your own tunes.
MAKE WATER BELLS
Start by letting children explore how different amounts of air vibrating produces different sounds.
What you need: 3 glass quart jars, a metal spoon, water--food coloring just for fun.
What to do:
1. Fill one jar half full of water. Tap it with the spoon. It should make a deep sound. If it does not, add a little more water. Keep testing and adding a little more water till you hear a deep sound. This is Bell 3.
2. Fill the second jar a little less than half full. Tap it. The sound should be higher than the first jar. If it is not, pour out a little water. Keep testing and pouring till you the sound is a little higher than the deep sound. This is Bell 2.
3. Fill the last jar with just enough water to cover the bottom. Tap it. The sound should be higher than the other two jars. This is Bell 1.
You can play "Mary Had A Little Lamb" by tapping the jars in this pattern.
1, 2, 3, 2---1, 1, 1
2, 2, 2, ---1, 1, 1
1, 2, 3, 2---1, 1, 1
1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 3
Now, experiment. Make up your own music to play on your Water Bells.
STRETCH AND STRUM
This time, it's rubber bands that get air moving and make sounds.
Go as wild as you want to let kids make their own guitars. What counts is having different thickness--or differently stretched--rubber bands.
In fact, almost anything that will let you stretch the rubber bands will work!
What you need: cereal box, tape, scissors, BIG rubber bands--best to use different thicknesses. Or something, such as a pencil or crayon, to change stretch.
What to do:
1. Be sure cereal box is empty and tape top shut.
2. Cut a hole as big around as a drinking glass on just one of the flat sides of the box.
3. Stretch rubber bands over the box, across the hole.
Pluck the rubber bands to make sounds. Push the pencil or crayon under one or more of the rubber bands to change how much it's stretched. Check how that changes the pitch.
Here are some websites to explore for more musical instrument HOW-TO
GET kids being movers, shakers, and music makers!!!
