Orchestra: The Percussion Family Lapbook Unit
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Pulsating Percussion Power!
The percussion family ~ what a broad range of instruments! Percussion instruments are used in every style of music from classical, rock, folk, jazz, ... to any kind! Percussion music may be very simple that even the youngest child can play to extremely difficult with layers of patterns and instruments. Instruments start from simple objects ~ the body itself provides a percussive heartbeat, a steady walking beat. a clapping hand, a tapping foot, and more. Full drum sets, keyboard instruments, and tons of accessories allow the percussionist so many possibilities! Percussion instruments have the longest history of any instruments, and have been used in every culture of the world. What an enormous range of information to learn about these cool instruments ~ join me here to learn about their importance and enjoy the tremendous sounds of percussion instruments!
While I do not consider myself a drummer or percussionist, I have had the experience of marching in a drumline and playing keyboard percussion (marimba, xylophone, etc.) in both marching band and orchestral settings. It's much different than performing on the woodwinds that I am used to! I made some great (and unique) friends and had a wonderful time, so, this page is for them!
While I do not consider myself a drummer or percussionist, I have had the experience of marching in a drumline and playing keyboard percussion (marimba, xylophone, etc.) in both marching band and orchestral settings. It's much different than performing on the woodwinds that I am used to! I made some great (and unique) friends and had a wonderful time, so, this page is for them!
Contents at a Glance
What are percussion instruments?
*Lapbook ~ What are percussion instruments? Mini Book*Lapbook ~ Percussion Instruments Notebook Pages
*Lapbook ~ History of the Percussion Family Mini Book & Notebook Page
So, what exactly are percussion instruments? Basically, they are anything that may be played by being shaken or hit. The percussion family is the largest group of instruments in the orchestra because the possibilities of instruments are endless. Percussionists learn to play a variety of styles and techniques. The following definition from Virginia Tech gives the best description of percussion instruments that I found.
"Instruments that are sounded by striking, shaking, plucking, or scraping. All instruments such as drums and bells fall into this category. The formal classifications of most Percussion instruments are either Idiophones (instruments that vibrate when struck, shook, plucked, or scraped) or Membranophones (instruments that have a stretched membrane that vibrates when struck, shook, or rubbed). Informally, Percussion instruments may be further divided into those instruments that produce a definite pitch and those that do not. Some whistles (aerophones) are also included in this category of instruments because they tend to be considered sound effects rather than serious instruments." Virginia Tech Multimedia Music Dictionary
What do you think of these animated percussion instruments from Animusic?
Drum set, vibraphone, marimba, chimes, & auxillery percussion?
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Percussion Instrument Research
Music Websites
*Lapbook ~ Instrument Research Notebook Pages
There are so many wonderful websites to learn about percussion instruments! Below are ones that I used in research and that my students have enjoyed.
There are so many wonderful websites to learn about percussion instruments! Below are ones that I used in research and that my students have enjoyed.
- *Percussion Instruments
- Virginia Tech Multimedia Music Dictionary
- Percussion Family Information
- Descriptions and pictures of cymbals, triangle, bass drum, xylophone, timpani, and snare drum from PlayMusic.org
- Sounds from the Orchestra
- Mini history and descriptions of timpani, bass and snare drums, cymbal, tambourine, castanets, triangle, cow bells, wood blocks, gongs, xylophone, glockenspiel, and marimba from Energy in the Air: Sounds from the Orchestra
- Percussion Instruments
- Mini description from Music Info 4 All
- Chinese Percussion Instruments
- Read about musical instruments used in the Cantonese Opera in Hong Kong.
- Medieval & Tudor Instruments
- Info and pictures of these historic instruments
- Percussion Music Online
- Find tons of links about every aspect of percussion instruments!
- Percussion Instruments
- The Free Dictionary gives the history, descriptions, pictures, samples, and more for older students to learn about this great family of instruments.
- Percussion
- History & Description of all instruments as a family and separate instruments (click on left).
Information from Orchestra Websites
An Important Instrument Family
- Meet the Percussion Family of Instruments
- from Dallas Symphony Orchestra
- Percussion Family of the Orchestra
- Find small articles, pictures, and sound samples about percussion instruments at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra Kids (DSO) website: bass drum, castanets, chimes, cymbals, glockenspiel, gong, guiro, snare drum, tambourine, timpani, triangle, and xylophone
- The Percussion Family
- The Oregon Symphony shares information about this cool family. Click on the instrument names to find out more.
- The Percussion Section
- Fascinating stuff from the wonderful kid's music website, Arts Alive!
- Instruments of the Orchestra
- San Francisco Symphony Kids has fun flash pages of instrument fun!
- The Instrument Storage Room
- Visit the section of the orchestra with the New York Philharmonic!
- Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra
- This is incredibly fun! Go on an adventure with Carnegie Hall Listening Adventures to learn about music and the instruments of the orchestra! Very, very cool!
Orchestra Series Lenses
Learn more about musical instruments!
Ludwig Pinnacle Complete 5 piece Drumset by Ludwig, Navy Blue
Amazon Price: (as of 06/03/2012)
This dazzling blue drum set comes with a bass drum, snare drum, three toms, double braced stands, high-hat cymbals, crash cymbal,drumsticks, kick pedal, and many special features with its 3 year warranty.
The Percussion Family
*Lapbook ~ Percussion Family Mini Book*Lapbook ~ Individual Members of the Percussion Family Flap Books
*Lapbook ~ Notebook Pages
Family / Instrument information and descriptions will be coming ...
I didn't forget ... it is coming .... really ... :D ~ In the meantime, I'd recommend the following page to find out about this incredible family of instruments! It looks to be a really cool series starting!
Biblical Reference to Percussion Instruments
*Lapbook ~ Bible Flaschcards & Pocket*Lapbook ~ Bible Notebook Copywork Pages, Poster, and Puzzle
1 Samuel 10:5 "After that you will go to Gibeah of God, where there is a Philistine outpost. As you approach the town, you will meet a procession of prophets coming down from the high place with lyres, tambourines, flutes and harps being played before them, and they will be prophesying.
1 Samuel 18:6 When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with tambourines and lutes.
2 Samuel 6:5 David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating with all their might before the LORD, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums and cymbals.
1 Chronicles 1:16 David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers to sing joyful songs, accompanied by musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals.
1 Chronicles 13:8 David and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, cymbals and trumpets.
1 Chronicles 15:28 So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouts, with the sounding of rams' horns and trumpets, and of cymbals, and the playing of lyres and harps.
1 Chronicles 16:5 Asaph was the chief, Zechariah second, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel. They were to play the lyres and harps, Asaph was to sound the cymbals.
2 Chronicles 5:13 The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang: "He is good; his love endures forever."
2 Chronicles 30:21b The Levites and priests sang to the LORD every day, accompanied by the LORD's instruments of praise.
Psalm 149:3 Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp.
Psalm 150:3-6 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.
Percussion Vocabulary
*Lapbook - Vocabulary Mini Book
Suggested vocabulary terms for this unit:
idiophone, membranophone, percussion, pitch, shake, strike
Auxiliary Percussion: bell, chimes, crash cymbals, cabasa, castanets, claves, cowbell, gong, guiro, hi-hat, maracas, ratchet, slapstick, sleigh bells, suspended cymbals, tambourine, timpani, triangle, vibraslap, vibrate, wood block
Drums: bass, bongo, snare, steel, tenor, tom-toms
Keyboard Percussion: bell lyre, glockenspiel, marimba, vibraphone, xylophone
Suggested vocabulary terms for this unit:
idiophone, membranophone, percussion, pitch, shake, strike
Auxiliary Percussion: bell, chimes, crash cymbals, cabasa, castanets, claves, cowbell, gong, guiro, hi-hat, maracas, ratchet, slapstick, sleigh bells, suspended cymbals, tambourine, timpani, triangle, vibraslap, vibrate, wood block
Drums: bass, bongo, snare, steel, tenor, tom-toms
Keyboard Percussion: bell lyre, glockenspiel, marimba, vibraphone, xylophone
- *Percussion Instruments
- Virginia Tech Multimedia Music Dictionary ~ Great musical definitions and pictures may be found here.
- Merriam-Webster Online
- Dictionary & Thesaurus
- Dictionary
- Online Dictionary, Thesaurus, Encyclopedia, & Translator
Digital Drum Machine
from Yamaha Instruments
8-PAD Digital Drum Machine with Touch-sensitive Pads
Amazon Price: (as of 06/02/2012)
This digital set comes with 8 drum pads, stereo speakers, and auxiliary jack, 50 preset kits, and 100 songs!
Percussion Worksheets, Notebook Pages, and Lapbook Materials
*I am currently working on a percussion lapbook that will be stored at my blog, Joyful Songs. I will send out a squidcast to anyone interested when it is completed and downloaded. The *'s in the modules let you know some of the ones that are coming. Others are in the works, also.
- World Instruments - Percussion
- World Instruments is an instrument distributor, but I though the pictures and description could be used in creating a music notebook.
- World Instruments - World Drums
- Connected to the above site, the pictures are fabulous and the historical information about this wide variety of drums from around the world is fascinating.
- Percussion Mini Books
- Scroll down to find: Percussion ~ Cymbals, Triangle, Glockenspiel, Celesta, Tubular Bells, Timpani, Bass Drum, Xylophone, and Snare Drum Tri-folds
- Instrument Playground
- 11 pages of percussion info and pictures from the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra.
- Orchestra Seating Charts
- Seating charts for Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern Orchestras at DSO ~ check how the instrumentation has changed over the centuries. These four charts may be printed out and added to your notebook.
- Music & Musical Instruments from Enchanted Learning
- Find percussion instrument crafts, coloring pages, cards, label the instruments worksheets in English, French, German, Spanish, and Italian, music anagrams, and language arts related activities for children grades 3 - 5ish.
- Instrument Worksheets at TLS Books
- 'My Musical Instrument Book' ~ A page for each instrument family, a puzzle, word search, and instrument sort page in a cute tab book.
Percussion Word Search and Labeling ~ Percussion Printing Practice ~ Percussion Name Match
How are sounds created?
Check out the science & physics behind the music!
*Lapbook ~ Vibrations Experiment Mini
- Sound is Energy
- How Sound is Made ~ basic physics about sound ~ vibration, frequency, tone, sound waves, harmonics
3 Projects about vibrations and sound - Music Acoustics: Basics
- There is only a small amount of percussion instruments here, but it gives an amazing overview of the science of sounds!
- Acoustics ~ Sound Production
- HyperPhysics describes fascinating characteristics about sound creations in percussion and other instruments! Music and science together are so cool!
Percussion for Young Students
Hands-On Percussion
Percussion instruments are easy and fun to make. You can create one out of almost anything. Below are some ideas to get you started.
*Lapbook / Notebook ~ Sound Experiment Mini Book and Notebook Page
Maracas / Shakers ~ fill two plastic bottles or cans with plastic lids (water bottles and Pringles cans work well) part way with rice. Voila ~ instant maracas! Students may decorate them with markers, stickers, construction paper, etcetera. ~ You can't stop there though ~ take time to experiment with sounds a bit! Try to make them with several variations. Predict how different amounts of rice would sound in your maraca. What would it sound like if you put a different element in your maraca like beans, sand, bolts, or macaroni? How would each of those elements sound if you put them in a different type or size of container? Try metal, plastic, or glass containers in different shapes and sizes. Listen for the differences. Do some have a higher or lower pitch than the others? Are some of them more "swooshy", "clangy", soft, or loud? Discuss your predictions of how the sounds will change if at all and write them down on the experiment mini book or worksheet if you wish. After you have tried some, decide if your predictions were correct. Your observations may be written down, also. Take a picture of your creations to put in a mini book of sound experiments.
Tambourine ~ the easiest way to make a tambourine is with a paper plate, string, and bells. Have the student color or decorate the drumhead (plate) if you wish, punch holes equally around the plate with a paper punch, thread string or yarn into tiny bells (the kind you can find at a craft store rather inexpensively), and tie them to the holes. A variation of this would be to fold the paper plate in half, and attach the bells just on the curved part leaving room to hold on the straight piece. Some people like to fill the inside of the plate with rice or beans to shake. If you choose this option, staple the two sides close together to contain the small pieces. ~ A slightly sturdier tambourine may be made out of a plastic lid. The kind on large margarine containers work well. Bells may be attached into the holes the same as above. Feel free to experiment with different size or style bells, or to use metal soda bottle lids or orange juice can lids to be the jingly part. (It would take a little creativity and time to use, but they would probably make a better sound that older children would appreciate more.
Water Xylophone
*Lapbook / Notebook ~ Sound Experiment Mini Book and Notebook Page
Maracas / Shakers ~ fill two plastic bottles or cans with plastic lids (water bottles and Pringles cans work well) part way with rice. Voila ~ instant maracas! Students may decorate them with markers, stickers, construction paper, etcetera. ~ You can't stop there though ~ take time to experiment with sounds a bit! Try to make them with several variations. Predict how different amounts of rice would sound in your maraca. What would it sound like if you put a different element in your maraca like beans, sand, bolts, or macaroni? How would each of those elements sound if you put them in a different type or size of container? Try metal, plastic, or glass containers in different shapes and sizes. Listen for the differences. Do some have a higher or lower pitch than the others? Are some of them more "swooshy", "clangy", soft, or loud? Discuss your predictions of how the sounds will change if at all and write them down on the experiment mini book or worksheet if you wish. After you have tried some, decide if your predictions were correct. Your observations may be written down, also. Take a picture of your creations to put in a mini book of sound experiments.
Tambourine ~ the easiest way to make a tambourine is with a paper plate, string, and bells. Have the student color or decorate the drumhead (plate) if you wish, punch holes equally around the plate with a paper punch, thread string or yarn into tiny bells (the kind you can find at a craft store rather inexpensively), and tie them to the holes. A variation of this would be to fold the paper plate in half, and attach the bells just on the curved part leaving room to hold on the straight piece. Some people like to fill the inside of the plate with rice or beans to shake. If you choose this option, staple the two sides close together to contain the small pieces. ~ A slightly sturdier tambourine may be made out of a plastic lid. The kind on large margarine containers work well. Bells may be attached into the holes the same as above. Feel free to experiment with different size or style bells, or to use metal soda bottle lids or orange juice can lids to be the jingly part. (It would take a little creativity and time to use, but they would probably make a better sound that older children would appreciate more.
Water Xylophone
- Build Your Own Xylophone
- You will need some PVC pipes, boards, string, and mallets to try this fun one!
- Clay Pot Chimes
- Find some old flower pots, wooden rods, and string to create another creative instrument.
- Coffee Can Drum
- Create an easy drum in minutes!
- Spanish Castanets
- Learn how to make two kinds of castanets from household items. Kids, please do with adult supervision for safety. :)
- Homemade Instruments
- Find directions on how to create the following: Plastic Egg Shakers, Paper Mache Fruit Shakers, Jingle Sticks, African Tambourine, Sand Blocks, Juice Can Shakers, Jingle Bracelets, and Quilting Hoop Drum.
- Instruments & Rhythms
- Adorable songs to teach rhythm to young children go well with homemade instruments.
- Songs to Use with Rhythm Instruments
- More cute songs and ideas for young children!
- Bottle-Cap Tambourines
- Try making this fun instrument with directions from Family Fun!
- Easy to Make Instruments for Kids
- Suggestions to make 9 types of instruments.
- Glass Duo Ensemble
- Listen to this beautiful music played on wine glasses! Amazing!
How to Make Instruments for Kids
Create your own percussion instruments with these easy directions and experiment with the sounds you can make! Play them with a group of friends! Dont' forget to take pictures or recordings of your instrument or song to put in your notebook if you are making one!
Learn some building techniques from the "How to Make Instruments for Kids" Video Series from Expert Village's Annie Brunson.
Learn some building techniques from the "How to Make Instruments for Kids" Video Series from Expert Village's Annie Brunson.
curated content from YouTube
Percussion Games
Have some fun practicing your listening and rhythmic skills!
- Online Drum Machine
- Enjoy this virtual drum machine flash game by playing and recording a "drum melody" with your mouse or keyboard.
- Drums Online Game
- Try a free online game to learn about playing drums in this drum-kit series tutorial for beginning drummers.
- Restore Rhythms Game
- Listen to the rhythm patterns and duplicate in the game for points.
- Drum Set Map Game
- Decide where to place the microphones to pick up the best drum sound.
- Percussion Face-Off
- Listen to a rhythmic pattern and duplicate it with your mouse.
- Boomthang
- This is not exactly a percussion game, but it has percussion rhythms to choose. Click on a variety of interesting sounds to create a "song" and record to hear it back.
- Toy Theater Drums
- Click on the 'drummers' to create new rhythmic patterns.
- Create a Song
- Use your keyboard to create rhythmic sounds.
- Instruments of the Orchestra Sound Match
- How are you at matching the sounds with the instruments?
Drum Corps International ~ DCI
If you have never heard of DCI before, you are in for a treat! Drum Corps International is an organization of numerous drum and bugle bands made up of teens and young adults who practice year round and tour the country all summer providing thrilling performances for their audiences. The brass will literally blow you away with power, while the percussion keeps your heart and body bouncing to their beat. The bands are well trained and take competition very seriously, trying to reach perfection with every step and note. Combine this with the color guard who provide dance, drama, and color, and you have a show that you will not forget! During the "off" season, some corps like to perform at indoor shows and competitions as you will see below.
Most of my fellow college marching band members marched with either the Cadets or the Crossmen, so I suppose those are the ones I am most familiar with, but every drum corp I've ever seen brings tons of exciting showmanship to their fans. Enjoy listening and watching!
Most of my fellow college marching band members marched with either the Cadets or the Crossmen, so I suppose those are the ones I am most familiar with, but every drum corp I've ever seen brings tons of exciting showmanship to their fans. Enjoy listening and watching!
curated content from YouTube
Percussion Instruction in the Classroom
Percussion Lessons
- 411 Drums
- "411 Drums is the place to learn about drums! As one of the internet's largest drum information portals, you will find educational links to drum lessons, drumtabs, drum tips, articles on drumming, a drums glossary, drums history page and a list of the famous drummers of our time."
- Vic Firth Percussion
- A site recommended by one of my students ~ several percussion lessons and tips on video.
- Zildjian Percussion
- Another recommendation - more percussion lessons and tips on video.
- Drum Websites
- Lots of stuff here such as: drum lessons, links, tabs, rudiments, and more.
Drum Instruction from Jeff Kozol!
Check out these wonderful videos and instruction from my good friend, Jeff Kozol! You may find more instruction materials and more at his website or Facebook page.
curated content from YouTube
To assist in your instruction:
Nino NinoSet12 12-Piece Percussion Assortment
Amazon Price: $129.99 (as of 06/03/2012)
Have fun with this 12 piece set! Included are claves, triangle, hand drum, tambourine, chime, guiro, maracas, shaker, 2 egg shakers, and 'wood a-go-go'.
Percussion Webpages on Squidoo
Sheet Music & Musical Equipment
Music Coupons & Sales
There are many places online to find quality sheet music and instruments ~ here are my favorites. They have an excellent variety of music publishers and materials for you to select.
Your Favorite Percussion Instrument
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curated content from YouTube
STOMP! An Incredible Percussion Ensemble
Pleasing both auditory and visual senses!
NO ~ you can't say that STOMP plays everything but the kitchen sinkbecause ...
YES ~ they do play the kitchen sink!
Find links and information about the ultimate percussion group, Stomp, at the following two pages! My "Interestingly Unique Music" page has a review of the group, a link to their home website, and several videos to enjoy. (It contains several other interesting percussion instruments as well that you will find to be a little unusual including the Blue Man Group!)
The other lens is completely about the group!
If you would like to find DVDs and recordings from STOMP, just click the picture above!
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Blue Man Group
Intriguing Percussion Instruments!
Another percussion based group is the Blue Man Group! You may read more about them and listen to more videos at Interestingly Unique Music! The following video from the "Leno Show" has a mixture of some of my favorite themes from them. Have fun watching and listening to them! powered by Youtube
More Music Pages!
Joyful Songs' Musical NotesJoin my Facebook page for a daily musical "note" about various aspects of music!
Drummer or Percussionist?
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What do you want to know about percussion instruments?
Click to take you to the section you want.
- What are percussion instruments?
- What do you think of these animated percussion instruments from Animusic?
- Percussion Instrument Research
- Information from Orchestra Websites
- Orchestra Series Lenses
- The Percussion Family
- Types of Percussion Instruments Series
- Biblical Reference to Percussion Instruments
- Percussion Vocabulary
- Digital Drum Machine
- Percussion Worksheets, Notebook Pages, and Lapbook Materials
- How are sounds created?
- Percussion for Young Students
- Hands-On Percussion
- How to Make Instruments for Kids
- Percussion Games
- Drum Corps International ~ DCI
- Percussion Instruction in the Classroom
- Percussion Lessons
- Drum Instruction from Jeff Kozol!
- How It's Made ... Percussion Instruments!
- Percussion Webpages on Squidoo
- Sheet Music & Musical Equipment
- Your Favorite Percussion Instrument
- STOMP! An Incredible Percussion Ensemble
- Blue Man Group
- More Music Pages!
- Drummer or Percussionist?
- Did you learn something or have fun?
- Leave your personal rhythm!
- Thank you for the SquidAngel Blessing! =D
Did you learn something or have fun?
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Leave your personal rhythm!
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jsr54
Apr 21, 2012 @ 10:08 am | delete
- My son-in-law was in Phantom Regiment. I love the tubular bells and it's on my bucket list to play them in a performance some day.
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RobinDM
Nov 30, 2011 @ 7:52 am | delete
- My son plays the drums so this lens was of great interest to me! You have done a fantastic job. Loved the Bible references!
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poddys
Oct 7, 2011 @ 2:50 pm | delete
- Excellent resource. I always wanted to learn to play an instrument, and in my teens I would listen to the radio while banging away on the kitchen cabinets and counter tops like a set of drums, and I used to drive my Mum mad. I used to work for a musical instrument manufacturer in Indiana, the one that makes Ludwig Drums, but I still can't play. Blessed, great lens.
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JoyfulPamela
Oct 9, 2011 @ 4:30 pm | delete
- Thanks, Tony! I love the sound of drums and other percussion instruments! :)
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PowersPercussion
Aug 10, 2010 @ 12:03 am | delete
- Excellent information- thanks for the fantastic lens!
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Amazon Price: $8.99 (as of 06/02/2012)
