Music from Nature (Ohio Corner View)
2009 June 23
I told the Little Ladies to design some instruments from nature. I did allow them to use rubber bands, the rest was to be something from nature. They tried all types of sticks, some were too brittle, some were too fat, some were too straight; eventually they found some that were just right; here are the two best designs they came up with:
Fauna’s looked like a harp and it had a great range of pitch.
Araina’s was out of a Y-shaped branch, it had a decent range of pitch. She loved designing instruments and is planning on making more tomorrow!
We also tried to make music with a blade of grass. Fauna almost got it right.
Not sure what Rainy was thinking here, but she tried.
Here is the correct way to make music from a blade of grass from eHow:
1. Search for a strong, wide, thick blade of grass. It must be at least as long as your forefinger and not have any tears or holes in it. Pluck the piece of grass carefully from the ground as close to the root as you can.
2. Hold up your left hand in a loose fist with your thumb pointing upward. Your thumbnail must be turned toward you.
3. Put your right hand up next to your left hand with the blade of grass flat along the right side of the thumb.
4. Bring your hands together and hold the grass between your thumbs. There should be a gap between the first and second joints of your thumbs where the grass is not touching either the right or left thumb.
5. Maneuver the grass so that it is stretched tightly in the gap between your thumbs and put this area to your mouth so the gap is against your lips.
6. Pucker your lips as if you were going to blow out a candle and blow hard into this gap. You will be able to hear the loud sound the grass makes if you do it correctly.
7. Make different pitches by flexing your thumbs to make music. The tighter the grass is stretched, the higher the pitch it makes.
2. Hold up your left hand in a loose fist with your thumb pointing upward. Your thumbnail must be turned toward you.
3. Put your right hand up next to your left hand with the blade of grass flat along the right side of the thumb.
4. Bring your hands together and hold the grass between your thumbs. There should be a gap between the first and second joints of your thumbs where the grass is not touching either the right or left thumb.
5. Maneuver the grass so that it is stretched tightly in the gap between your thumbs and put this area to your mouth so the gap is against your lips.
6. Pucker your lips as if you were going to blow out a candle and blow hard into this gap. You will be able to hear the loud sound the grass makes if you do it correctly.
7. Make different pitches by flexing your thumbs to make music. The tighter the grass is stretched, the higher the pitch it makes.
*Visit Fauna’s blog, Three Black Inkspots, she also did a corner view this week. 
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