INTRODUCTION TO MUSIC:
PERCUSSION FAMILY

PERCUSSION FAMILY LESSON

Directions:

Print the Percussion Family reading comprehension passage and questions (see below).

Students should read the passage silently, then answer the questions.  Teachers may also use the text as part of a classroom lesson plan.

Lesson Excerpt

The percussion family is composed of several different instruments.  Some of the most common are the snare drum, tambourine, timpani, cymbals, and xylophone.  Instruments in the Percussion Family create sound when they are hit, shaken, or touched by anything else that causes vibration.

Snare Drum

This is a snare drum.  It is made of metal or wood and has a skin stretched across the top and bottom.  There are also cords, called snares, stretched across the bottom.  The snare drum is found in nearly every kind of music today.  It makes noise when the top is hit with a drumstick. 

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