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| The Science of Sound |
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Learning about the science of sound and how music
is made together with your child can enhance their understanding
of music and science and be fun for you both. Music is organized
sound. The science of acoustics tells us sound is produced when
an object vibrates, creating sound waves which pass through the
air and cause the listener's ear drum to vibrate. The ear conveys
a message to the brain that we interpret as sound. Sound that is
structured, which forms patterns, we hear as music. Higher notes
are produced by faster vibrations and lower notes by slower vibrations.
Unlike light, sound can travel through solid objects. Children will
learn this as part of the National Curriculum when they also get
to know about changes in pitch and volume.
There are ways that you can help too.
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My son was fascinated to learn about sound when he discovered the echo in the bathroom. |
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| Mark Field, Parent |
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Things You Can Do
Simple ways to demonstrate how sound works involve getting your child to hear a sound, feel the vibration, and make the connection:
- Say "Ah!" loudly and have your child place their fingers on your throat. They will feel your vocal folds vibrate as they produce the sound.
- Balloons vibrate to strong sound, so blow one up and expose
it to a source of sound such as a radio or CD player, or your
voice. Hear the sound and see it vibrate.
- Make a comb and tissue paper kazoo with your child and let them child play it
- Make a primitive reed instrument by blowing across a moist piece of grass between the thumbs
- Find somewhere with an echo and get your child to make noises
- Show your child how sound can change when they you cup their hands over their ears in different ways
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Visit a Museum
- Check out what local museums offer. London's Science Museum,
for instance, gives children a chance to get hands on in the On
Air gallery, where they can work a radio studio, and find out
about the mechanics of sound transmission, recording and broadcasting.
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| Every child is unique and develops at his or her own pace. The information in BBC Parents' Music Room is for information and guidance only and should not be treated as a substitute for medical, legal or other professional advice. |
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