What are percussion instruments?
           Use this web site to teach your students what percussion
                     instruments are as well as how to play them!

For the teacher:
    This lesson is meant to be used within the context of teaching instruments of the orchestra.
    It provides a way for students to "learn by doing".  The ideal grade level is grades 3 or 4.
    Objectives:  Students will describe the three ways to play a percussion instrument,
        play the instruments correctly, and describe the difference between a pitched
        and an unpitched instrument.

     A Percussion Instrument is a musical instrument that
   makes a sound as a result of hitting, shaking, or scraping.
 

                             The Lesson
Step 1 -- Download the worksheet Percussion Puzzlers and copy for students.
             This worksheet asks the students to answer 4 questions about each instrument:
                1.)  Of what is the instrument made?  (metal, wood, or other)
                2.)  How is it played?  (hit, shake, or scrape)
                3.)  What kind of sound is it?  (high pitch, low pitch, or unpitched)
                4.)  The name of the instrument?
Step 2 -- Demonstrate the activity for the students using three common percussion
             instruments such as the triangle (hit), maraca (shake), and sandpaper
             blocks (scrape).
Step 3 -- Discuss what an "unpitched" instrument is by asking the students to sing
             the song "Happy Birthday" on a sound given from an unpitched instrument.
             The students will see that it is impossible to sing a note that is "unpitched".
Step 4 -- Send the students out to stations of instruments (you can decide how many).
             This is where they will explore, analyze, and categorize the instruments.
             I suggest putting out a variety of instruments from various cultures.  The
             students should know the names of many, but this is a good time to include
             different or interesting instruments they would not normally see or play!
Step 5 -- Discuss what the students wrote about each station, emphasizing the category
             about how the instrument is played.  It is also fun to see how many students
             came up with the correct name for the instruments!

                       Here is a good list of instruments to use in your
                        exploration of percussion instruments!

    triangle            maraca            sandpaper blocks        tone bells/tone chimes

xylophones       glockenspiels     guiro (fish)    rhythm sticks        rainstick

    wood blocks        bean pods        snare drum        bass drum        conga drum

finger cymbals     boomwhackers        cabassa       windchimes        ????????

Other percussion topics to discuss with your students:
    What percussion instruments do you see in an orchestra?
    What percussion instruments do you hear on the radio?
    What are percussion instruments used for?
          Often they are used for rhythm or special effects.
      Is a piano a percussion instrument?
          Have the students "debate" if it is a percussion or string instrument.
      What are the oldest percussion instruments you know?
          Instruments from nature such as rocks or sticks!
 

Links to other percussion web sites:

    The Drums and Percussion Page provides many links to other sites.

    Lark in the Morning is a site that has pictures and sells instruments.
            The page was set up by a Mendocino, California school district.

    Internet Resources for Music Educators provides links to the best
            music resources in the nation for all levels and areas of music.
 

Any questions?????
    Contact the page creator at cmsepersky@mail.viterbo.edu