MUSIC 3rd Grade

Week 7

Review the Instrument Families 1. Watch the video to review. 2. Read the facts about each family. 3. Answer the questions below.

Video: George Meets the Orchestra! http://www.viewpure.com/M0Jc4sP0BEE?start=0&end=

Remember: Instruments belong to a certain family because of how they make sound ​ ​ and other things they have in common.

BRASS FAMILY: 1. Instruments in the brass family are all made of brass metal, which is why they are the same color.

2. Brass instruments have tubes that are twisted and turned.

3. You blow air into them to make sound.

4. Brass players buzz or vibrate their lips into the mouthpiece to make a sound.

5. They change notes by pressing buttons called valves. The only exception is the trombone, which has a slide to change notes.

6. Brass instruments include: trumpet, cornet, flugelhorn, French Horn, trombone, euphonium, baritone, tuba, Sousaphone, and more.

PERCUSSION FAMILY: 1. Instruments in the percussion family are anything you hit, tap, scrape, or shake to make the sound.

2. Some of these instruments can only play rhythms like the drums, rhythm sticks, and woodblock. These are called unpitched percussion.

3. Other percussion instruments can play rhythms and notes (pitches) like the xylophone, glockenspiel, and piano. These are called pitched percussion.

4. Percussion instruments include: drums, rhythm sticks, triangle, cymbals, woodblock, xylophone, glockenspiel, metallophone, piano, and more.

STRING FAMILY: 1. Instruments in the string family all have strings that vibrate to make the sound.

2. The player puts down different fingers on the strings to change the notes.

3. For violin, viola, cello, and bass you can pluck the strings or move a bow across them.

4. Some string instruments include: violin, viola, cello, bass, harp, ukulele, guitar, mandolin, banjo, and more.

WOODWIND FAMILY: 1. Instruments in the woodwind family are all tall narrow tubes.

2. These instruments have a row of holes you cover with your fingers to change notes.

3. Players have to blow air into the instruments.

4. Most woodwind instruments have a reed or double reed that vibrate to make sound. Some have a hole you blow across to make sound like the flute and piccolo.

5. Woodwind instruments include: piccolo, flute, clarinet, oboe, saxophone, English horn, bassoon, contrabassoon, recorder, and more.

Instrument Family Questions

1. Which is the biggest brass instrument?

2. Put these string instruments in order from highest sounding to lowest sounding: viola, bass, cello, violin.

3. Name one unpitched percussion instrument and one pitched percussion ​ ​ ​ ​ instrument (Hint: Unpitched instruments create rhythms only. Pitched instruments are able to play different notes).

Unpitched:

Pitched:

4. Why is the saxophone in the woodwind family and not the brass family? (Remember, instruments are in a certain family because of how they make sound…)

5. Which instruments would you like to learn how to play and why?