Art Central
Music
Black keys, white keys, shining brass and humming strings! Let's discover some surprising facts about musical instruments and the notes they play.
Did you know?
A piano has 88 keys: 52 white keys and 36 black keys. Count them the next time you see one!
'Piano' is short for 'pianoforte'. It means 'soft-loud', because a piano can play both soft and loud notes!
India's first Independence Day was in 1947. That day, Ustad Bismillah Khan played the shehnai at Delhi's Red Fort!
Try this: Make a Shaker Band
Do this with an adult
With an adult, take three small empty plastic bottles with lids. Put a spoonful of rice in one and dal in another. Put small pebbles in the third. Close the lids tightly. Shake each one. Which sounds loudest? Which sounds softest? Play a beat on them while your family sings a song!
Go further: Sa Re Ga Ma
Indian music has seven main notes: Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha and Ni. Together, they are called the sargam. Each name is short for a longer Sanskrit word. Sa comes from 'shadja'. Western music has seven notes too: do, re, mi, fa, so, la and ti. Try singing Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa. Then sing it backwards!