Mon Prof Augmenté
Five Ways to Make Music
Age 12 · Music
Every instrument makes sound by making something vibrate, and what vibrates sorts it into a family. It can be a bowed or plucked string, a column of air, a stretched skin, or the instrument’s own body.
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In the picture
- Violin: a bow rubs the strings and makes them vibrate
- Harp: fingers pluck the strings and let them ring
- Flute: blown air makes the air inside the tube vibrate
- Drum: a stick strikes a stretched skin that vibrates
- Maracas: shaking makes the instrument’s own body sound
Examples
- A guitar at a campfire is a plucked string, while a recorder in music class is blown air.
- A tambourine belongs to two families: tap its skin like a drum, or shake it to rattle its metal jingles.
Key takeaways
- All sound from instruments comes from something vibrating.
- Sort an instrument by what vibrates: a string, air, a stretched skin, or its own body.
Quiz: Five Ways to Make Music (Age 12)
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What do all instruments have in common in how they make sound?
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When someone plays a flute, what vibrates to make the sound?
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A violin is bowed and a harp is plucked. Why do they still belong to the same family?
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