The technology of instruments

We have been inquiring into the technology of some musical instruments. This week we explored how strings and percussion create sound when using different materials.

We made string instruments using cardboard, plastic and metal. We tried different types of strings (i.e., rubber bands!) We discovered that the thickness of the string can make a high or low sound. We also found that cardboard and tin make very different sounds.

We also made some shakers using lots of different materials to see what kind of sound they made. We found that small pieces, like beads, that are not too packed worked better than sand or bark.

Next we are planning to create our own type of instrument. We have been thinking carefully about what materials we need and have made a design. We will be dialing up our Creativity to make our instruments next week!