Today we are going to be making musical instruments from things you can find around the house! Let's get started!
What you will need:
- Empty bottles
- Drinking glasses
- Water
Share the activity pack here...
Music bottle!
If you blow across the top of an empty bottle what happens? That's right, it makes a sound!
But what if you add some water? The note, or the pitch, is higher!
The more you fill the bottle with water, the higher the note or pitch.
The science bit!
The reason why this works is because when you blow across the top of the bottle, you set the air molecules vibrating and produce sound waves.
When the bottle has a small amount of water in it, the air molecules have lots of room and vibrate slower. More water means a higher pitch! Try a few notes and see if you can play a simple tune.
Singing glasses!
Let's try playing some glasses of water. This instrument is sometimes known as a glass harmonica or singing glasses. It’s a similar idea to the bottles but the music is much sweeter!
Fill the glasses with different amounts of water. To play a note, dip your finger in the water and gently circle the rim of the glass!
Skilled musicians can play whole songs just using dozens of glasses of water! Sometimes, you can see street buskers playing glasses of water.
Colouring by number!
Colour in each number with the corresponding number. It will reveal a hidden picture! You can also pick you own colour for each number and get creative!
Have fun everyone and remember to be careful with the water. If you spill it, clean up after yourself!
We would love to see how you all get in making music. Upload your fun videos HERE!
