Musical+Instruments

How do Wind Instruments make sound?
In wind instruments, like the flute and trumpet, vibrating air makes the sound. The air particles move back and forth creating sound waves. Blowing across a flute's blow hole sets up Slinky-like waves in the tube. In the clarinet, a vibrating reed (a thin piece of wood set in the mouthpiece) gets the waves started. Different pitches are played by pressing keys that open or close holes in the tube making the air column inside the tube longer or shorter. Longer air columns produce lower pitches.

How do String Instruments make sound?
Stringed instruments are played by pressing the fingers down on the strings. This pressure changes the strings' length, causing them to vibrate at different frequencies and making different sounds. Shortening a string makes it sound higher. Strings produce different sounds depending on their thickness.

=Sound Box= Make your own sound box and explore the world of sound waves.  Note: you may need to tape the small piece of cardboard to the bottom and sides of the box to strengthen the sides. The elastics vibrate when they are plucked. Both the object that is vibrating, and the tension will change the sound. Wide elastics usually vibrate slower, so they create low notes. Thin elastics vibrate faster to create higher notes. A loose elastic will vibrate more slowly (creating a lower note) than a tight elastic that is the same width. That's why stretching the elastic changed the sound. =Water Chimes= > Materials -8 glasses, teaspoons, water Can you use the notes to play a simple tune?
 * Materials** (shoe box, elastic bands, extra cardboard - optional )
 * 1) Put the elastics around the box.
 * 2) Use your finger to pluck each elastic. Listen to the different sounds.
 * 3) Use the fingers of one hand to stretch one of the elastics. Pluck the elastic. Does it change the note?
 * 4) Arrange the elastics in sequence from the highest note to the lowest note. Can you figure out why this sequence works?
 * What Should Happen**
 * Directions**
 * Line up eight glasses of about the same size and shape.
 * Fill the first glass about 1/8th full of water for the high note, the second glass should be 1/4 full, the third glass should be 3/8ths full for the next note, and so on.
 * Each glass should sound like a note on the music scale (do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do). You may need to tune your music scale (add or remove water with teaspoon) until each note rings true.
 * Have the children use a metal teaspoon to gently tap out the scale and any other melodies they know (Mary had a Little lamb, Twinkle Twinkle).
 * Hints for Water Chimes**
 * Don't use expensive crystal glasses to make water chimes.
 * Add a bit a food coloring to help children identify which glass is which sound.
 * Changing the amount of water will change the musical note. The amount of water in the glass changes the pitch of the sound wave.