Percussion instruments

Percussion instruments produce sound when they are struck or shaken. Their name, percussion, means "the hitting of one body against another." In the orchestra, the percussion section provides rhythm and tone color.

Percussion instruments are made from many materials, but usually consist of either a solid material or a stretched membrane (thin material). Drums, the most well-known members of the percussion family, come in many shapes and sizes, but are all constructed with a membrane stretched across a frame or hollow container.

Percussion instruments are classified as tuned or untuned. Tuned instruments play specific pitches or notes, just like the woodwind, brass and string instruments. Untuned instruments produce a sound with an indefinite pitch, like the sound of a hand knocking on a door.

The percussion are an international family, with ancestors from the Middle East, Asia, Africa, the Americas and Europe representing musical styles from many different cultures.

I want you to research percussion instruments in New Zealand, observing local percussionists and create and play your own percussion instrument!

Nelson man, Richard Nunns has a long history of personal commitment to researching and presenting/ performing the traditional musical instruments of the Maori and some of these instruments are percussion instruments. Discover two Maori percussion instruments and listen to Richard Nunns playing them at  https://richardnunns.nz/tumutumu-a-found-percussion-instrument/

Levity Beet, a musician and sondwriter from Takaka, is talented in creating and playing his own instruments. Discover one of Levity's percussion instruments and listen to him playing it at http://www.levitybeet.com/make-stuff.php

With a partner view the video clips of Richard Nunns and Levity Beet.

Next view the clip of the finals of New Zealand's Got Talent, featuring talented young percussionists Hitmen at https://www.google.co.nz/#q=nz+hitmen+percussion

Consider how you might create your own percussion instrument. I have included some links to ideas, so take a look. Or you may have a great idea of your own. http://www.kinderart.com/teachers/9instruments.shtml or http://www.artistshelpingchildren.org/make-maracas-shakers.html

Come up with a one minute performance using your percussion instruments.

Evaluation of this learning quest will be acheieved by the ability to create and play a percussion for one minute. It would be great to share these performances within the class environment in the form of a concert, so we can appreciate the diversity of instruments. See if you can video yourself and share it with the class.