Percussion instrument

High school (ages 12+)
Art & Creativity

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/percussion-instrument

1. What is the classification by pitch production?
2. What is the historical development?
3. What are percussion instruments and how do they make sound?
4. Why do percussion instruments come in different materials like wood, metal, and even water?

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the classification by pitch production?Instruments are categorized as producing definite pitches (melodic) or indefinite pitches (rhythmic)
2. What is the historical development?Evolved from simple natural objects to complex, standardized orchestral and electronic instruments
3. What are percussion instruments and how do they make sound?Percussion instruments are things you hit, scrape, or shake. The motion makes parts vibrate, and those vibrations become the sound we hear.
4. Why do percussion instruments come in different materials like wood, metal, and even water?The material changes the tone and how long the sound lasts. Wood gives a warm sound, metal gives a bright one, and water can create special effects.

Polyrhythm: The simultaneous use of two or more conflicting rhythms.
Timbre: The characteristic quality of a sound that distinguishes different instruments or voices.
Extended Techniques: Unconventional methods of playing an instrument to produce unusual sounds.