Make an Instrument Project



Make an Instrument Project

Step 1: Background Research

History of Musical Instruments

Instruments are the tools of musicians. Just like all other craftsmen, as the musician becomes more skilled he/she becomes more capable of producing great works with his/her tool.

Music seems to be a primal love of people. When new ways of producing music are discovered, news of how to do so spreads quickly. There are ancient drums, harps, and whistles in Asia that look very similar to ancient instruments in Africa, Europe, and the Americas. Many modern instruments now are refinements of these very primitive instruments. It is only with the development of electronics that the method of making instruments has dramatically changed.

Types of Instruments

Sound music come from a vibration. The way instruments produce these vibrations can be put into four categories…

Aerophones: produce sound by pushing air through a vessel, usually a cylinder.

Chordophones: produce sound when tightly stretched strings are vibrated.

Idiophones: produce sound from its own material without the need of air, strings, or a membrane.

Membranophones: produce sound when a stretched membrane vibrates, usually after it is hit.

List two instruments that would go in each category. 8 points

Aerophone- ____________________ _____________________

Chordophone- _______________________ ______________________

Idiopnone- _______________________ _________________________

Membranophone- _______________________ _____________________

Step 2: Choosing and Researching Your Instrument

Instrument Families

There are four categories of instruments. We group them into families. Tell me what each family has in common and list two instruments that belong in that family. 12 points

|Instrument Family |What do they all have in common?|Instrument Example #1 |Instrument Example #2 |

|String Family | | | |

| | | | |

| | | | |

| | | | |

|Woodwind Family | | | |

| | | | |

| | | | |

| | | | |

|Brass Family | | | |

| | | | |

| | | | |

| | | | |

|Percussion Family | | | |

| | | | |

| | | | |

| | | | |

What instrument are you going to make? 1 point _____________________

Step 3: Researching Your Instrument

Some helpful websites are and . I also have some books available for you to use in class.

All of these questions in step 3 are about the real instrument you are trying to make not the instrument you are making. Ex. If I were making a flute, I would answer these questions about the flute, not the instrument I was making.

Each question is 1 point.

What is the instrument you are trying to make made out of?

What are the names of the different parts of the instrument?

What is the size of your instrument? Either find the size or compare it to a household object.

Explain how your instrument produces sound. Refer to step 1.

Explain what your instrument sounds like.

What are some ensembles (groups) where you would hear this instrument played?

Would you be interested in learning how to play this instrument? Why or why not?

Step 4: Making the Instrument

Each question is 1 point.

Brainstorm some materials you could use to make your instrument. Write them below.

Draw a sketch of what your instrument will look like.

Summarize how you made your instrument in one paragraph. 4 points

You will be presenting your instrument to your class in music on the following days.

Sknerski- May 23

VanMeter- May 24

Rausei- May 28

When presenting you will tell us what instrument you made, how you made it, how it produces sound, and then give us a demonstration of how it produces sound.

Make an Instrument Rubric

| |Fantastic |Good |Okay |Needs Improvement |Incomplete |

| |4 POINTS |3 POINTS |2 POINTS |1 POINT |0 POINTS |

|Produces Sound |Student created an | |Student created an | |Assignment |

| |instrument that | |instrument that made| |incomplete. |

| |produces sound like | |a sound but is not | | |

| |the real instrument.| |like the real | | |

| | | |instrument. | | |

|Creativity |Student made more |Student made solid |Student made some |Student showed minimal |Assignment |

| |than the expected |effort in making |effort in making |or no effort in making |incomplete. |

| |effort in making |their instrument |their instrument |their instrument look | |

| |their instrument |look and sound |look and sound |and sound creative | |

| |look and sound |creative. |creative. | | |

| |creative. | | | | |

|Oral Presentation |Student presented |Student presented |Student presented |Student presented their|Assignment |

| |their instrument |their instrument but|their instrument and|instrument and did NOT |incomplete. |

| |including: |forgot one of the |did NOT include two |include three of the | |

| |instrument name, how|following: |of the following: |following: instrument | |

| |you made it, and how|instrument name, how|instrument name, how|name, how you made it, | |

| |it produces sound. |you made it, or how |you made it, or how |or how it produces | |

| | |it produces sound. |it produces sound. |sound. | |

|Materials |Student created an |Student created an |Student created an |Student brought in an |Assignment |

| |instruments from |instrument that had |instrument with |actual instrument |incomplete. |

| |materials that were |materials mostly |materials that were |purchased at a store. | |

| |ALL found at home. |found at home. |not found at home. | | |

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download