Wording of this Handout:
Music: what is it? The meaning of this word is far wider than you might think. It can mean any sound made with the voice or an instrument. This means any voice, from a bird's to a dog's, and what about that word 'instrument'? Where do we stop when it comes to saying what an instrument is? It might be just about anything at all!
Here are some everyday things you can use as instruments:
1. A rubber band.
Stretch it across a gap and twang it. The tighter is is the higher the note.
2. The teeth of a comb.
Drag it across the corner of a table and listen to the notes.
3. Pots and Pans.
arrange them in a semi-circle around you, and see how many different sounds you can get.
4. A butter knife.
Get the point of balance right, and practice until you can get it to bounce like a drum- stick.
5. Fingers.
The make a distinctive clicking sound when you get the hand of it.
6. Tap- dancing.
You need 'clickers' on your heels and toes for this. Try sellotaping bottle tops to your gumboots.
7. The spokes of a bicycle.
Turn a bicycle upside down, spin a wheel and hold a stick carefully to the spokes.
8. Marble in a bowl.
Get a large, metal bowl and place a marble in it. Revolve the bowl until the marble spins around the inside. It will make a strange 'singing' sound.
9. Glasses of water.
Line up ten glasses, and put a little more water into each on. Tap them with a pencil to get a tune.
10. A ruler.
Hold the ruler with on hand, while you twang it. The longer the bit sticking out, the lower the note.