3.5 Music: string instruments

Arts and culture

Grade 4

Critical and creative reflection

Module 16

Music: string instruments

String instruments

Activity

To identify instruments [lo 2.4, 2.5]

The tortoises

Complete:

To portray the tortoises the composer uses string instruments

What do the string instruments look like?

There are four different instruments (Look at the illustration of the tortoises - note the size of the different instruments and how they are played):

Violin

Viola

Cello

Double bass

These four instruments form the four string instruments. String instruments consist of a wooden body and four strings. A bow is drawn over the strings.

String instruments are manufactured with great care. All the wooden sections are glued together; no nails or screws are used. This group of instruments varies in size: the bigger the instrument, the lower the sound; the smaller the instrument, the higher the sound.

(Compare to big and small animals: a mouse is small and the sound it makes is high-pitched; an elephant is big and the sound it makes is low-pitched).

Now paste in (or draw) pictures of the four string instruments.

How is sound produced on the string instruments?

When a bow is drawn over the string the string vibrates. This causes sound! The longer the string, the lower the sound; the shorter the string, the higher the sound. To shorten or lengthen the strings, press on the strings with the left hand.

Instead of using a bow, the strings can also be plucked by the right hand. This produces short sounds.

The pitch of the strings:

Violin: high

Viola: relatively high

Cello: relatively low

Double bass: low

Now arrange the string instruments:

1. small to large

2. high to low

What deduction can you make?

STRING INSTRUMENTS

Assessment

LEARNING OUTCOME 2: REFLECTING The learner will be able to reflect critically and creative on artistic and cultural processes, products and styles in past and present contexts.

Assessment standard

We know this when the learner:

2.4 recognises time signatures such as four-four and three-four;

2.5 listens to and identifies musical instruments in terms of appearance, name, how sound is produced, timbre and general pitch classification (high-low).