What could be better than creating your own band with instruments built at home?
Children love noise and creating sounds. Spent time together to create something new and fun. Be creative and learn at the same time!
Build instruments together with your family, start discovering different sounds and how to create them by playing on your new instruments! Now you can make your own songs just by using your imagination and creativity … Hey Presto! You have your own band!
1. Maracas made from old plastic Easter eggs:
Many of us keep plastic eggs from last Easter and don’t know what to do with them. Well here is the perfect way to reuse them! All you and your child should do is collect some seeds, stones or other similar elements that can generate sound (if you don’t have anything on hand you can use coins!). Put them inside the eggs. Tape them to keep them from opening. Decorate them with colored paper or paint. Get some tape to make sure the eggs don’t pop open as you shake them. You can even use the plastic “shells” from Kinder eggs. If you want to be fancy, tape plastic cutlery to the egg to make a handle.
2. Drums made from empty containers:
Search your home for containers ( anything from chips to cereal, even tupperware works), they will be your drums. Making them is very simple: you cover the container with paper and decorate the sides it as you like. Then you must make the skin of the drum. For that choose the material you want. You can experience different sounds depending on what you use: aluminum foil, cloth and plain paper. Wax paper that your mom uses for baking might work really well! Tape this paper over the top of your container. Two pencils can work as your drumsticks. Begin tapping the top of your container and see what sounds your drums make. You can even attach a string and hang your drum around your neck. Make a marching band, and march around you house to the beat of your drum!
3. Guitar made with a shoe box:
To make your own guitar you will only need a shoe box, glue and elastic bands. Cut a round hole in the lid of the shoe box. Glue the lid to the box so it won’t come off. When it dries, stretch the rubber bands across the box. Try it and find out what it sounds like! You can have fun painting and decorating your guitar.
thanks to https://www.parents.com/fun/arts-crafts/kid/craft-guitar/
4. Handmade Shakers / Shakers with pebbles or beans:
Use any cylindrical container: these can be tubes of potato chips, toilet or paper rolls, or empty soda cans. You’re going to need crayons, glue, paper, and dried beans (or any dried seeds, like rice or lentils). Cover the cylinder with the paper, decorate it with crayons as you like. Place the dried beans inside and seal both ends with paper, making sure it is well closed by gluing it on o using tape.Try shaking them! The different seeds on the inside make different sounds!
5. Harmonicas made with combs:
Search your house for hair combs (different colors if possible) and sheets of waxed paper. Fold the paper over the teeth of the comb, making it equal on each side. The side of the paper that has wax should be away from you. Now you can blow on the comb and play your homemade harmonica! The vibrations on the paper make the sound! Try adding some words or humming as you blow to change the sound!
6. Symbols made with kitchen pot lids:
To make these fun and noisy instruments, you must use two pot lids and a little ribbon or thread. You tie the ribbon around the handles of the lids and you will have the dishes ready to use. Use these instruments sparingly and with care! They work well as the final “BANG!” at the end of your song!
7. Mini Lid Banjo:
These little instruments are super easy to make. For each mini banjo you will need a wooden stick (an ice cream stick works well, otherwise cut a similar shape from cardboard), 4 rubber bands (small ones), adhesive tape and glue. Place the four mini elastic bands over the lid and secure it in place with a piece of tape. You can decorate the wooden stick with printed ribbon or paint it. You can use duct tape or industrial masking tape to secure the elastic bands and the “stick” to the lid. Decorate your Banjo handle. Start plucking! What sounds does your banjo make?
Thanks for the inspiration from https://www.thecrafttrain.com/mini-lid-banjos/
It’s awesome for little ones to build their own instruments and to experiment with sounds. These activities are great for developing imagination, creativity, as well as working important motor skills by playing and learning music. Building instruments and playing them is great fun for adults too! Take advantage of time at home to play and learn while making a fun music band! What’s the name of your band?
Musical statues or musical chairs is an excellent game for developing auditory discrimination. Children have to listen carefully to the difference between sound and silence and engage their entire bodies during play. You can play musical statues only with your child, but musical chairs are best played with at least 3 or 4 family members or friends. They both work different motor skills, so you should try them out. Musical statues are great for developing body control and strengthening your body in the “freeze” positions. Musical chairs, on the other hand, teach children to move through things and get a feel for their position in space as they run around trying to find a chair to sit on, without hitting others.
How to play musical statues:
Play music on a CD player or cell phone. While the music plays, everyone dances around the room. One person in charge of the game stops the music every now and then and everyone should freeze in the exact position they were dancing in when the music stopped.
If you move, you are “out”. For young children, it’s a lot of fun to keep freezing without anyone “going out.”
How to Play Musical Chairs:
Place chairs around the room (one for each player). Play music on a CD player or cell phone. As the music plays, everyone dances around the room. Again the person in charge should remove a chair while everyone dances, then they stop the music every now and then and everyone should run and sit in one of the chairs. Whoever did not get to the chair on time is “out”.
Repeat, removing one chair at a time until two people remain and the one who sits first in the remaining chair is the winner
2. Pass the parcel
Traditionally played at birthday parties, this game is not new. Play at home and you will make your children move and listen carefully. It can be played in two (going back and forth), but if there are 3 or more players, you can pass the parcel around from one to the next in a circle formation.
How to play Pass the pack:
Wrap any object in many layers of newspaper or wrapping paper. You could back cookies and wrap them in the center, get the kids to help wrap, or even to help to make the paper by decorating the newspaper with paint beforehand. Make the layers easy to remove. Play music on a CD player or cell phone. The package is passed clockwise (teach your child this word while doing so!) When the music stops, the person holding the package can remove a wrap layer. When the music continues, the packet continues to be passed along, until the music stops again and another layer is removed.
The person who removes the final layer of wrapping to reveal the package is the winner.
Change direction for each new round (clockwise to counterclockwise).
Make sure the package is received with both hands and passed to the next person with both hands (to make sure you cross the middle line, which is a good exercising technique )
3. A little elephant
In this game, you will teach your children to count and understand how numbers increase in value by 1 each time, and will also practice the important ability to balance and walk in a straight line.
These are the lyrics:
A small elephant swinging
step by step on a piece of string.
I thought it was tremendous fun.
(Insert name) called another elephant to come.
Two little elephants …
Three little elephants …
Five little elephants swinging
Step by Step. a piece of string
Then the rope broke and everyone fell. ¡
No more little elephants!
How to Play A Little Elephant:
Put a piece of string on the floor. Start the game by being the first elephant to walk the length of the rope and use your arms to balance yourself. Sing the song together. Choose a child to join the second verse and continue until all the players walk step by step on the rope. For the last verse, the rope breaks and everyone collapses on the floor
4. How many instruments can you hear?
In this game, the objective is to listen and identify different instruments. Your child must have had some exposure to the instruments and recognize the basics. But if not, it’s a fun way to learn about the different instruments.
We have included some videos you can play.
How to play How many instruments?
Play a song on a CD player or cell phone. Any Song with various instruments will do (try the song below or search YouTube for the instrumental version of songs) You and your child each have a piece of paper and you must draw the instruments you hear. At the end of the song, compare drawings and see who heard the most amount of different instruments.
Here is a song you can use to identify various instruments:
5. Match the Sounds
For this activity you will need a variety of basic instruments (or even handmade or improvised instruments). The goal is to listen to the music and try to find the right instruments that match or blend well with the sound. Play a song and use your instruments to play along.
Some examples:
Hitting a triangle (or two pieces of cutlery together) for small, loud sounds. Hitting the drums or a box for a slow deep voice. Bang the cymbals together (or pot lids) for a loud, high sound. Shake or rattle bells or a tambourine for fast music. There are no rules here. Demonstrate a song first by making suggestions about what elements might match the sounds and ask for your child’s input. Then play songs and let your child freely play their choices with music.
6. Draw the music
In this activity, children literally draw music as they listen to it. Provide pieces of paper and pencils or wax crayons and ask your child to draw what he hears.
They could draw:
How the music makes them feel. Draw wavy lines or zig-zags to represent slow, flowing music or fast, choppy music. Draw the rhythms they hear (for example, drawing short and long lines for short and long sounds)
Allow your child to surprise you with the way he interprets and draws music. Draw your own performance at the same time and see how your images differ.
Music is great for exploring, empowering, and expressing our feelings. It helps us improve our visual and verbal skills, even our quality of sleep. It benefits our immune system and reduces pain. It allows us to know ourselves and transmit emotions. Music releases muscle tension and anxiety.
And what better way to take advantage of all these benefits, but from the comfort of our own homes. It not only serves to distract us in difficult times, it also opens up an incredible universe of sensations that we may be unfamiliar with.
Why take online music classes?
Taking classes online gives you flexibility that no other format would. Not only can you choose the times that suit you best, regardless of whether it is very early or very late, but you can also optimize your time a lot in case you have a very hectic life. Learning in familiar environments makes concentration and security easier by being familiar with the space. In many cases it also reduces distractions.
When a person has little free time to go to a school to learn an instrument, or when they cannot leave home, having classes online means that they do not miss the moment saved for oneself in the whirlwind of everyday life. You don’t have to spend even on transportation!
At Shine Music School, we offer online music lessons with qualified and talented teachers. You can study one-on-one and develop your skills at your own pace, under the direction of a professional.
It’s the start of a new school year here in Spain, and at the Shine School of Music in Barcelona we are offering a fresh new group courses in music! After a long summer, now’s your chance for a new beginning! If you ever wanted to start singing or playing an instrument, don’t let “later” becomes “never”, start your musical journey now!
Group lessons are beneficial in that they provide a chance to those who may find shelling out for the private music lessons a bit of an economic burden. Besides being a great way to learn music in a fun environment, group lessons are also a super way to make new friends, all the while learning a new skill!
Shine Music School is running group lessons in the following:
All of these lessons are 4 hours a month, in 4 one hour classes, 1 class each week. You can check out our schedule for the time slots. Each of the lessons is facilitated by a professional music teacher. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to contact the school to find out more!
Besides these fixed group lessons, the Shine Music School also provides the option to arrange your own private group lessons. So if you and bunch of your friends or family would like to get together to learn an instrument or to sing, we can provide a flexible schedule, a talented teacher and great prices!
Let your musical journey begin!
If you don´t have your own instrument, not to worry, we can provide one for your first lesson and we also sell and rent both guitars and ukuleles!
João Silva has arranged, and performed both the violin and keyboard for this beautiful and haunting new musical piece called The Glass Man as part of his Still Life work. He collaborated with Margherita Abita on Vocals/Lyrics, Claudio Marrero on Saxophone, Eva Monroy, Violeta Veinte on violin, Francisco Palazón on Viola and Anna Llorens on Cello. The music video was Recorded and Mixed by Still Life music. With Mastering by Pau Andreu and Camera by Mar Gabarre.
It’s time to put together your own music band!
Learning music is amazing for your health!
