Can you guess this riddle? What musical instrument make sounds without anyone playing it, has strings like a guitar but is not a guitar, has a case like a drum but is not a drum, can sound like a trumpet but is not a trumpet? It’s easy to to guess the answer if you look at the picture: it’s your body!

Where are the strings in your body? They are the vocal chords in your throat. Your vocal chords make sounds by moving backwards and forewords, or VIBRATING. This is what happens when you speak or sing. Pluck a rubber band and watch it move. It will vibrate in the same way as your vocal cords.

The case of the drum is your chest, or thorax. You can make a noise like a drum by hitting your chest wit your fits – not too hard! Try humming at the same time.

You can make lots of different sounds with your body. See how many you can find. Try clapping your hands with your palms flat, with your palms cupped and using different numbers of fingers on your palm, ( as shown in the video).

Tap your knuckles against each other, on your elbows or very gently on your head. Snap your fingers if you can. Slap your hands on your thighs or knees. Can you make a noise like a cork popping? Put your finger in your mouth and curl the end into your cheek. Shut your mouth tightly and flick the end of your finger out as quickly as you can: POP!

Music with your feet:
Don’t forget that your feet can make many different sounds: walking, running, skipping, shuffling along the ground. Try jumping on a carpet, on a wooden floor, on a stone floor, on grass, on the pavement. Is the sound always the same?

Voices:
Even the tiniest babies know how to make people take notice of them. Using all their breath, they scream and yell so loudly that no one can pretend not to hear. You have been using your voice ever since you were born. Try whispering as softly as possible then shouting as loudly as possible,. Can you change from a high squeaky voice without getting louder or quieter? You often make your voice higher and lower or louder and softer without realizing it. It’s much more difficult to do it on purpose. The more you experiment with your voice, your hands and your feet, the more “instruments” you will find in your “body orchestra”.

Listen to the video attached and try to “compose” a piece by using body percussion.

For those who study music, you can try to read and perform the score attached in the resources section.

Enjoy!

Image and video taken from the Malta Philharmonic website: www.maltaphilharmic,com. The members of the orchestra and performing ‘ĊAPĊIP … MINN QALBNA (CLAPPING … WITH HEARTFELT THANKS)’ by Daniel Cauchi