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

Alex Sabbeth (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 7, 1997 | Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

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!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

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.

From Booklist

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

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (February 7, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471156752
• ISBN-13: 978-0471156758
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 9.2 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #204,135 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #80 in Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Physics

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific, March 3, 2010

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Alan Craig (los angeles, ca United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Rubber-Band Banjos and a Java Jive Bass: Projects and Activities on the Science of Music and Sound (Paperback)

I had the ominous task of getting 160 3rd graders to make instruments that they could really play. Thanks goodness I found this book. The instruments were easy to make and worked really well. I would recommend this to anyone interested in a wonderful art project that really does produce results.