Gourds and the Sitar!
This week in music class, we learned all about the process of drying gourds with the pumpkin drum I made a few years ago, as well as the gourd instrument, the sitar! It is a very complicated instrument with around 20 strings, moveable frets, and many tuning pegs! It is incredibly difficult to play.
The children enjoyed listening to the sounds of Ravi Shankar playing the sitar, and we talked about the instruments many strings and tuning pegs, as well as the sounds it produces. Check out the images below and don't forget to ask your child about music class with the extender questions!
Famous sitar player, Ravi Shankar (1920-2012)
Anoushka Shankar, daughter of Ravi Shankar
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR CHILD:
1) How did Miss Chantal dry the pumpkin? First she cooked it in the crockpot, scooped out the insides, and then let it dry completely for a few days!
2) Does the sitar have a few strings, or many strings? Many strings!