Want your students to learn about the string instruments? Here are a few music lesson plan ideas that will get your students inspired about stringed instruments.
firstly, compare the sizes of violins and violas with other objects of different sizes Show or speak pairs of objects, and have the students indicate the relative size relationships with the words “violin” (for small) and “viola” (for large). For example, ‚”elephant, mouse” would be ‚”viola, violin” and ‚”bicycle, airplane” would be “violin, viola”. This will reinforce the relative sizes of these instruments, which students often struggle to remember.
Make a diddly bow (a rudimentary single-stringed blues instrument) by stretching a wire or string along a wooden plank. You can place objects underneath the string at one of the ends to life the string up and alter its tension, and thus its pitch. Use the diddly bow to explore the effects of string tension and string length (press down on the string with a finger to effectively shorten the string. Greater string tension and shorter strings lead to faster vibrations, which in turn produce higher sounds.
