Tag Archives: gong

Playing Music… And Learning Shapes!

washboard and tambourineHave you ever noticed that many simple musical instruments are also perfect for teaching shapes?

This week, while doing a preschool program, one of the quieter young boys became very excited about naming the shapes of the instruments we were making and playing.  He noticed the washboard he loved to play was in the shape of a rectangle.  And his sister had a tambourine that was shaped like the moon!  The other kids enjoyed the idea and pretty soon, we had gone through an entire basket of instruments finding all types of shapes in all kinds of different ways.

circle instrumentsFor instance, how many circles can you find in the instruments to the right?  We counted 12!

And what shapes are here in the tambourines and triangle below?

What a fun way to combine music and some of the basic skills that will help a child excel in school or in their homeschool learning.

triangle instrumentsDon’t have a basket of instruments around your home?

No worries, here are some simple musical crafts that will have you not only putting a circle in the square – but playing one, too!

 

SQUARES AND RECTANGLES

Make a Cajón Box Drum
Free from DARIA’s website
http://www.dariamusic.com/docs/MYO%20Cajon.pdf
Free from TPT
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Cajon-Make-And-Play-Your-Own-Box-Drum-1236616

Square Ocean Drum http://www.dariamusic.com/docs/Ocean%20Drum%20Instructions.pdf

CIRCLE

Bongo Drums
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Make-And-Play-Your-Own-Bongo-Drums-1430615

click-and-clack-the-castanetsButton Castanets
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Make-Your-Own-Button-Castanets-1439711

Chinese Gong
http://www.dariamusic.com/docs/chinesegong.pdf
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Make-Your-Own-Chinese-Gong-From-Recycled-Materials-486935

Triangle

wooden sistrumEgyptian Rattle  http://www.dariamusic.com/docs/naturalsistrum.pdf

Explore More

Can you think of more simple shapes that are found in instruments? Let us know and we’ll feature them here!

Find lots more DIY/MYO Crafts on Daria’s website craft and activity page:
http://www.dariamusic.com/crafts.php

Or her TeachersPayTeachers Store:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Daria-Marmaluk-Hajioannou

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Posted in Early Learning With Music, Family Fun, First Instruments, Homeschool Musical Fun, Musical Crafts

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Celebrate Chinese (Lunar) New Year With A Year of The Sheep Gong!

sheep gong craft picBang a gong and everyone listens!

Gongs are amazing, loud, inspiring instruments, but where can you find one?  If you have some basic supplies, then you can craft one right in your own home or classroom.  And you can decorate your new gong with a Chinese zodiac symbol or some other creative theme.

Supplies

Large metal pan (like a recycled pie tin, pizza pan, or a turkey roasting pan)
Pipecleaners or yarn
a smaller pie-tin gongStick, broomstick or long cardboard tube
Paint, stickers, glitter, glue or textured paint for decorating the gong
12 – 18” wooden dowel or wooden spoon (for the drum beater)
Colorful tape (for the drum beater)

Step By Step Directions

You can find step-by-step instructions as a pdf on DARIA’s world music for kids website or in her TeachersPayTeachers store.  Both are free, here:

http://www.dariamusic.com/docs/chinesegong.pdf

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Make-Your-Own-Chinese-Gong-From-Recycled-Materials-486935

horse gong imageWhat Year Is It?

In February 2015, we’ve entered into the year of the sheep or the goat.   You can see an image of a ram on the pie tin gong at the top of this post!  But, there are 12 Chinese Zodiac signs so you may also want to use any of the other animals as part of your design.  You might also want to find out what year you were born in.

Take a look at the chart below and you can find out if you are a pig, an ox, a monkey or a rat!

Chinese ZodiacLinks and Resources

Bolang Gu on redMake Your Own Bolang Gu  (Monkey Drum)
http://www.tinytappingtoes.com/chinese-mandarin/make-your-own-bolang-gu-chinese-pellet-drum

Kids Music Videos of Chinese New Year Drums and Celebrations
http://multikidsmusicvids.com/?cat=97

Two Popular Chinese New Years Songs
http://www.tinytappingtoes.com/chinese-mandarin/two-wonderful-songs-to-celebrate-chinese-new-year

“Gong Xi! Gong Xi!” – The Excitement of Chinese New Year
http://makingmulticulturalmusic.wordpress.com/2013/02/02/gong-xi-gong-xi-the-excitement-of-chinese-new-year/

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Posted in Chinese (Mandarin), Classroom Music, Early Learning With Music, Family Fun, First Instruments, Holiday Songs, Homeschool Musical Fun, Multicultural Music, Musical Crafts, Simple Instruments

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Bang a Gong!

blue nipple gongBang a gong and every pays attention!

Tap a gong and you got a quiet, calming, resounding tone.

Gongs are wonderful instruments made from a circular metal object that hangs on a stand and is tapped or struck by a stick or beater.  Some are simple and plain.  Others are decorated beautifully with designs etched into the surface and hung on elaborately carved wooden stands.  All of them create beautiful notes when played.

What Can You Do With A Gong?

Gongs are great for marking time.  They are perfect for starting a day or an activity.  They can call kids in from recess or playtime or announce that a meal is ready.  They are a perfect addition to any home play, homeschool or classroom environment as well as a great way to learn about the culture of China, Tibet, Korea, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and other countries where these play an important role in the cultural and religious life of the people.

Make Your Own Gong!

a smaller pie-tin gongDo you need a big budget to acquire a gong?  No way!  If you have a metal item such as a pie tin or recycled turkey roasting pan, you can craft your own unique gong.  Here are the supplies you’ll need:

Supplies

Metal pan

Broomstick, long stick or cardboard tube from inside wrapping paper

Yarn, string or pipecleaners

Materials for decorating the gong

Two chairs (to use as the stand for the gong)

horse gongInstructions

You can find step-by-step instructions in the pdf below, but basically, you decorate the pan, poke two small holes about 2 – 3 inches apart, slip string, yarn or pipecleaners through each hole and hang your gong from a broomstick or cardboard tube.  A makeshift stand is easily made from two chairs positioned back to back.

Last, to create a beater for your gong, cover a stick or wooden spoon with a bit of red felt or silk and tie it around the top.  Then experiment with the sound when touching it lightly, tapping harder or by striking several times in a row.  Below is a video of a serious gong being played to give you some  inspiration.

Decorate Your Gong

January 31st, 2014 marks the Chinese New Year and we welcome in the year of the horse.  It can be fun to create a gong with the theme of the New Year or to look up your birth year and make a gong with a pig, a rat, a sheep or a dragon.  Find a chart of birth years and Chinese Zodiac signs in the pdf below, along with more suggestions for making and playing this fun world music craft!

Resources

Step-By-Step Instructions/Make Your Own Gong And Chinese Zodiac Symbols PDF

http://www.dariamusic.com/docs/chinesegong.pdf

What Does The Gong Say?

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Posted in Chinese (Mandarin), Classroom Music, Early Learning With Music, Family Fun, First Instruments, Homeschool Musical Fun, Multicultural Music, Musical Crafts, Simple Instruments, Uncategorized

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