Rubber-Band Banjos and a Java Jive Bass: Projects and Activities on the Science of Music and Sound - Softcover

Sabbeth, Alex

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0471156752 ISBN 13: 9780471156758

Publisher: Jossey-Bass, 1997

Synopsis

Tune up and tune in to the wonderful world of music and sound!

Make a hip-hoppin' java jive bass out of an old coffee can. Put on your homemade tuxedo and conduct your own orchestra. Those are just some of the fun projects and activities you'll enjoy as you discover the mysteries and melodies behind the science of music and sound.

Learn how sounds are made, and how we hear them. Find out how your favorite instruments actually make music. You can even create your own electronic music studio.

Step-by-step instructions and illustrations guide you through dozens of projects and experiments. From a French horn made from a shower hose to a xylophone made from an egg carton and some household wrenches, Rubber-Band Banjos and a Java Jive Bass makes you part of the coolest band in town!

About this title

About the Author

ALEX SABBETH studied science and music at Yale. After playing violin in several symphony orchestras, he moved to Oregon with his wife, Carol. There, they present programs that help teachers and children use computers creatively.

From the Back Cover

Tune up and tune in to the wonderful world of music and sound!

Make a hip-hoppin' java jive bass out of an old coffee can. Put on your homemade tuxedo and conduct your own orchestra. Those are just some of the fun projects and activities you'll enjoy as you discover the mysteries and melodies behind the science of music and sound.

Learn how sounds are made, and how we hear them. Find out how your favorite instruments actually make music. You can even create your own electronic music studio.

Step-by-step instructions and illustrations guide you through dozens of projects and experiments. From a French horn made from a shower hose to a xylophone made from an egg carton and some household wrenches, Rubber-Band Banjos and a Java Jive Bass makes you part of the coolest band in town!

Reviews

Grade 5-7. This thorough and lively presentation explores the world of sound and provides instructions for making musical instruments. Along the way, readers will learn about famous scientists who had musical inclinations, such as Albert Einstein, Alexander Graham Bell, and Galileo. Numerous, clear, pen-and-ink drawings illustrate the construction of instruments from a glass harmonica, to a violin, drums, and a foot-powered organ. Some adult help will be needed for some of the projects; others are so simple that only the materials are necessary. The scientific principles behind the creation of all the wonderful noises are explained, as is basic music notation. Covering much of the same territory as Margaret McLean's Make Your Own Musical Instruments (Lerner, 1988) but including more easy-to-make instruments, this volume is a welcome addition suitable for most collections.?Kathryn Kosiorek, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Brooklyn, OH
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 4^-7. It's no easy task to create a book that works both as a craft how-to and as an introduction to a subject, but this volume succeeds nicely all around. With clear instructions for making everything from a shoe box guitar to a water-glass chorus, it is a wonderful resource for teachers and students wanting to try their hand at building a homemade band. It is also filled with basic information about sound, rhythm, and reading music, as well as a wide variety of wind, string, and percussion instruments. A scattering of sidebars, which focus on historical figures who loved music (among them, Albert Einstein and Alexander Graham Bell), might better have been devoted to thumbnail profiles of famous composers, but this is still an excellent blending of science, craft, and fun. Glossary. Stephanie Zvirin

Edition details

• Publisher: Jossey-Bass
• Publication date: 1997
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0471156752
• ISBN 13: 9780471156758
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 112