Curated OER
World Percussion Instruments
Fourth graders study percussion instruments from various world cultures. In this percussion instruments lesson, 4th graders listen to percussive sound sources, learn playing techniques, and create compositions for instruments they...
Curated OER
The Percussion Family
Second graders complete a unit to learn about the percussion family and African and Latin drumming. In this percussion instructional activity, 2nd graders complete 9 lessons to learn about the percussion family. Students learn to use...
Curated OER
Musical Instruments
In this musical instruments worksheet, students identify and locate 20 various types of musical instruments in a word search. First, they locate brass and percussion instruments. Then, students locate string and woodwind instruments.
Curated OER
Percussion Terms
In this music learning exercise, students locate 16 percussion instruments and terms. The word search includes 14 percussion instruments and two performance terms.
Curated OER
Manipulating Sound
Students use music software to create and refine a musical composition. They use music software to create a sequence of musical phrases. Students use music software to create and refine a musical composition and adapt it in the light...
Curated OER
Elementary Lesson Plan - Instruments
Fourth graders identify two different types of mallets, discuss how percussion instruments are played, recognize that there are many types of mallets that produce different sounds on percussion instruments, and work in small groups to...
Curated OER
Drums and Sound
Through discussion, demonstration, and observation of
performances by drum groups, students discover how vibrations
create sounds. Through exploration students can infer that when drums are struck they make noise due to vibrations.
Curated OER
Illustration # 1: Source of Illustration
Students play a game of imitating steady beats by mimicking the instructor. They use drums and repeat the game by echoing rhythmic patterns. The patterns may vary in degree of difficulty according to each individual's ability.
Curated OER
Native American Song and Dance
Students examine the importance of the drum and drumming in the cultural context of the Native American. Musical insturments and native dance is employed to support the focus of the lesson.
Curated OER
Instrument families
Students brainstorm to list as many instruments as they can and try to guess which instrument family into which they fit. They research each instrument on a website and find the family, hear the sound and learn about each one.
Curated OER
Music - Lesson 3 - Orchestra
Second graders study the four families of orchestral instruments and patriotic songs in this unit of lessons.
The Orchestra
The Orchestra: A User's Manual Percussion
A terrific resource covering many aspects of the percussion. Most explanations are made with video and audio clips of members of the Philharmonia Orchestra.
Other
Vic Firth: Snare Drum Rudiments
All 40 of The Percussive Arts Society's Essential Snare Drum Rudiments are found on this site. Each rudiment includes audio and video so you can see and hear how the rudiments should be practiced. There are also many helpful tips on how...
Unite for Literacy
Unite for Literacy: Create and Play: Musical Families
Learn about the different groups of musical instruments. Book includes audio narration in 6 additional languages with text in English.
Wikimedia
Wikipedia: Timpani
A nice, factual encyclopedia entry from Wikipedia on the timpani. Discusses its origins, how it is played, how it is tuned, and its significance in an orchestra. Links are provided throughout the article for additional information.
PBS
Classics for Kids: Musical Instruments
An A-to-Z directory of all the instruments and tools of the orchestra. Each entry includes a description, a picture, and a sound sample.
Other
Drumatix: Vintage & Collectable Drum Center
This site offers vintage and collectable drum products for sale. Lots of images! (Takes a while to load)
Other
Drum Bum: A Drum Lessons Database
Providing "Over 400 free Lessons and Tabs," this resource includes learning ideas and information for everyone from the drum novice to the expert. In addition to including lessons on a wide range of instruments, this resource includes...
Other
Vic Firth: Educator's Resource Library
This website is a cornucopia of resources for percussion instruction. There are videos, audiocasts, podcasts, interviews with talented percussionists. Please check out this website is you are interested in any aspect of percussion.
Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Dallas Symphony Orchestra Kids: Xylophone
The xylophone is a percussion instrument that is tuned and has a keyboard shape. Use this resource to learn more about it and the other instruments in the percussion family. Use RealAudio or Windows Media Player to hear the xylophone by...
Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Dallas Symphony Orchestra Kids: Triangle
Use this resource to learn about the percussion family of the orchestra. The triangle is part of this group of instruments. Use RealAudio or Windows Media Player to hear the triangle on its own and with the orchestra.
Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Dallas Symphony Orchestra Kids: Timpani
Have you ever wondered what those big bowl shaped drums were? They are timpani. Use this resource to learn more about them and the percussion family of the orchestra. Use RealAudio or Windows Media Player to listen to the timpani play...
Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Dallas Symphony Orchestra Kids: Tambourine
Use this resource to learn about the percussion family of the orchestra, the tambourine in particular. Learn what it is made of and how it is played. Use RealAudio or Windows Media Player to listen to the tambourine alone and with the...