PBS
Pbs: Benjamin Franklin: An Extraordinary Life: Franklin's Glass Armonica
Read a short essay about Franklin's invention of a musical instrument--the glass armonica. Includes a sound file of a composition by Mozart played on Franklin's instrument.
Other
Pay the Piper: The Bassoon
Learn about the Bassoon, "the largest member of the woodwind family," at this website. The site is geared toward young students who are thinking about playing a musical instrument.
Other
Pay the Piper: The Oboe
This website, geared toward young students who are thinking about playing a musical instrument, provides the "pros and cons" of playing the oboe. The site provides background information about this woodwind and related links as well.
Other
Leather Puppets of India
Use this site to learn about the fascinating world of Gypsy-made leather puppets. This nomadic tribe is always on the move carrying their puppets and musical instruments seeking permission from village leaders to perform for monetary...
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings: Track Preview: Music of Ireland: Medley
Listen to a sample of traditional Irish music played on the uilleann pipes, from a 1951 recording of music of the world's peoples.
Other
Dancedrummer: Traditional African Drumming and Dance
African drumming and dance are discussed in this interesting site. You can play with some of the interactive African style drums as well as access video and audio clips of the music.
San Diego State University
Orchestration
Through playing "Orchestration," students learn about each instrument and the group to which it belongs. Actual instruments should be shown and demonstrated in class prior to playing the game. Create this fun card game for your music...
Other
The Violin Site: Left Hand Violin Exercises
Many exercises and techniques for the left hand are explained on this site with the use of music studies and videos. This is a good resource that helps explain the proper techniques for using the left hand properly. (Note: Videos may not...
Other
Pay the Piper: The Violin & the Viola
This informative article on the violin and viola includes the advantages and disadvantages of choosing to play one of these instruments. This website includes information on playing, maintaining, and repairing the violin and viola....
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Don't You Fret! Standing Waves on a Guitar
In this project, you will investigate the physics of standing waves on guitar strings. You will learn about the different modes (i.e., patterns) of vibration that can be produced on a string, and you will figure out how to produce the...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: How to Make a Guitar Sing
This is a great project for musicians interested in the physics of stringed instruments. If you have ever played an acoustic guitar, you may have noticed that picking a single string can make one or more of the other (unpicked) strings...
Other
The Essential Guitar Guide
A great resource for guitar players, this site provides a lot of music theory, how to play chords, how to improvise and more. On the download page there is a chord calculator that displays the notes of many chords.
Arizona State University
Arizona State University: Natural Horn & Its Technique
Arizona State's descriptions of the horn are broken up by illustrations of the horn, players, and music. There is a big discussion of crooks (not the kind that go to jail), but the kind that are made when you bend metal! The author notes...
Curated OER
Eternal Egypt: Musicians Playing
This block shows a musical party. The left side of the block shows six girls holding musical instruments. To the right, two men are playing a harp and others are keeping the rhythm by clapping their hands.
Other
Saxlessons
The complete saxophone resource. Students are guided through lessons. Also, a wealth of information about the saxophone.
Quia
Quia: Music Trivia
A great study tool for a music class! Students match classical muscians to the instrument they play in one of four games: matching, concentration, flashcards, word search.
Other
Piano Music Sight Reading Practice
Actually this clever site drills pianists on note names and note placement on the keyboard. Kids can access this site at home for practice. Both treble and bass clef are used.
Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Dallas Symphony Orchestra Kids: Cymbals
Learn about the ways to play the cymbals and how they contribute to the sound of the orchestra. Use RealAudio to listen to cymbals alone and with the orchestra. Pictures of the instrument are also provided.
Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Dallas Symphony Orchestra Kids: Violin
Read about the violin, as well as a few other string instruments. Use Windows Media Player or Real Audio to listen to three violin samples. Pictures of the instrument are also provided.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Practice Makes Perfect
As we all know, practice makes perfect. This clip highlights several children playing musical instruments and challenges the students to write about a time when they felt proud of themselves for working hard at something.
Other
The Bluegrass Guitar Homepage
Source of information about the acoustic flat-top guitar and the playing styles used in bluegrass music. Recommendations for instructional materials to learn to play; history of Doc Watson, discussion areas, links.
University of New South Wales (Australia)
University of New South Wales: Introduction to Saxophone Acoustics
Learn all about the ways a saxophone produces sound. Discover why the reed, playing softly or loudly and tone holes play important roles in this instruments acoustics.
Other
Online Trombone Journal
The Online Trombone Journal is "a volunteer organization dedicated to providing free access to quality information about the trombone and the people who play it."
Curated OER
Educational Technology Clearinghouse: Clip Art Etc: Cymbalum
A musical instrument, in the shape of two half globes, which were held one in each hand of the performer, and played by being struck against each other. The cymbal was a very ancient instrument, being used in the worship of Cybele,...