GB2330681A

GB2330681A - Percussive Educational Aid

Info

Publication number: GB2330681A
Application number: GB9823078A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Tina Anne Lloyd-Morris
Original assignee: LLOYD MORRIS TINA ANNE
Current assignee: LLOYD MORRIS TINA ANNE
Priority date: 1997-10-21
Filing date: 1998-10-21
Publication date: 1999-04-28
Anticipated expiration: 2018-10-21
Also published as: GB9722233D0; GB2330681B; GB9823078D0

Abstract

A learning aid comprises more than one percussive instrument, each instrument having a resonator body co-operating with either a drum head or a xylophone key, and the whole aid being capable of providing a variety of sounds. Each drum body preferably has a characteristic cross-section and colour, for example five resonator bodies 4 can be mountable in base 9 and provided with correspondingly shaped drum heads 8 to form separate instruments 6 producing different sounds by virtue of different lengths of resonator body; instruments 6 can if desired be used as free standing items. Similarly, different lengths of resonator body (5), Fig 5 (not shown), co-operate with colour coded xylophone keys (7) in a pentangle arrangement, and can be tuned to provide the same pitch as the correspondingly coloured drum elements. A child can associate sounds with the shapes or colours, aiding in pattern recognition, manipulation of objects, sorting and classifying, etc. If used with instruction cards, Figs 6 to 11 (not shown), elements of counting, and simple music making can also be achieved.

Description

AN EDUCATIONAL AID The invention relates to an educational aid, particularly for the enhancement and specific reinforcement in the learning of manipulative skills and relatively simple mathematics.

People, particularly children, with learning difficulties require a great deal of attention from a teacher. Repetition forms a large part of their learning process, which means a great deal of time is spent by the teacher on each pupil, and moreover the tasks the pupil has to perform can become boring for him or her, thus diminishing enthusiasm for the repetitive nature of the task in hand, which in turn leads to the expenditure of a longer time for reinforcing the learning and until success is achieved, in a particular task. The knowledge gained is then used to develop other tasks, and so to develop further understanding. The more pupils in a class, the prevailing trend being to larger class sizes, then the task of teaching becomes more difficult as less time is spent with each individual pupil.

In order to engage a pupil's attention, various aids such as puzzles have been developed, but most are unstructured in the sense that once solved, they have nothing left to offer and cannot aid further learning or provide for a positive reinforcement of the learning process.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to seek to mitigate these disadvantages.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided an educational aid, comprising a plurality of percussive instruments, each comprising resonator body means and separate drum and xylophone means, whereby to provide a variety in sound.

The separate means may comprise xylophone keys and drum heads adapted to be mounted on a particular resonator body means. This provides for relative simplicity in that a single resonator body may be used, with different "heads".

In a preferred alternative, the percussive instruments may comprise a set of separate drum and xylophone-like instruments. This construction provides for versatility as the two instruments can have individual characters, and can be used both together, and apart, to enhance and reinforce a learning process.

The drum-like instrument may comprise a plurality of separate drum elements.

This provides for enhancement too, particularly when there may be five separate drum elements which may be mountable in a body of the drum-like instrument.

In a preferred embodiment each drum element may have a characteristic shape.

This provides for a tactile quality as well as teaching different shapes, particularly where the shapes may be respectively a circle, a rectangle, a triangle, a square, and a pentagon, as considered in plan. These shapes correspond with shapes used at key stages 1 and 2 of the National Curriculum and also will, it will be understood, effect the musical scale used. At the same time, five shapes provide variety without confusion in a pupil with learning difficulties.

Each shape may have a characteristic colour whereby to enhance learning when using the drum instrument. It will be understood that the use of colours enhances the musical experience.

The colours and shapes of the drum elements may respectively comprise an orange circle, a blue rectangle, a red triangle, a green square and a yellow pentagon. This arrangement provides for contrast and ease of identification.

Each drum element may comprise a hollow resonator body and a drum head secured thereto by tuned shrinkage. This construction is relatively simply produced, particularly where the drum heads may comprise a leather membrane which is applied wet to a hollow resonator body, and each hollow body may be individually tuned as by being of different lengths. The membranes make a good seal with the body so that an integrated musical drum is formed which produces a drum sound when struck with a stick. A head may be removable from the respective resonator body.

The drum-like instrument may comprise a body in which there may be a plurality of seatings each of which may have a complementary shape to that of a drum element. This provides for an element of spatial awareness in that the drum elements have to be matched with a seating, particularly if each drum element may be removably mountable in its respective seating.

The spatial awareness and tactile nature of the aid can be enhanced when the body of the drum-like instrument may be assemblable from a set of parts, which set of parts may comprise a plurality of stackable parts which are relatively movable horizontally. This provides a relatively simply assemblable aid, particularly if there may be three parts which are stackable, and which may be rotatable about a central axis, whereby the parts are relatively movable horizontally.

There may be a base part which may comprise a central upstanding (in use) spigot and two separate parts which may be superposable and each of which may comprise a central through orifice for receiving the spigot. Each of the two said parts may have respective through apertures, whereby the apertures may be alignable on rotation of the said two parts to provide the seatings for removable mounting therein of the associated drum element. Thus a constructional device which is also a musical instrument can be produced, for enhancing and reinforcing the learning process. Thus a puzzle may bepruduced, using an aid embodying the invention.

The body of the drum instrument may be pentagonal in plan view. This corresponds with the five drum elements and provides a relatively complex number and shape with which a person with learning difficulties can nevertheless cope.

The xylophone-like instrument may comprise a body which may have a plurality of xylophone elements, and preferably there may be five xylophone elements.

This corresponds with the number of drum elements, and provides for ease of use and understanding by a pupil. The xylophone elements also musically and aesthetically complement the drum elements.

The five xylophone elements may each comprise a hollow resonator body and a xylophone key. This is a relatively simple construction, particularly where each xylophone key may comprise a wooden key.

Each hollow resonator body may be tuned and supported below a key. Thus the resonator body may be suspended beneath the respective key for the key to be free to vibrate. This relatively simple construction can produce a relatively pure sound, particularly when each key may have a concave portion on its underside (in use) extending over a central portion of the key which is substantially half the length of the key.

The support means may comprise twine. This enables the body to be secured to the key with the ability to oscillate, for producing a "clean" sound.

Each key may have an indicia corresponding in shape and colour to a particular drum element, whereby a particular key and drum element are indicated as having a similar pitch. This provides for effective enhancement of the learning process, resonator body means of the xylophone having the same length as the equivalent drum resonator means.

The indicia may be painted on a key. This is a relatively simple way to provide the indicia. The indicia may be textured so that visually impaired users may have access to, and benefit from, the educational aid of the invention.

The body of the xylophone instrument may comprise substantially a pentangle in plan view. This again corresponds with the shape of the drum instrument, and can enhance learning without confusing a pupil. The keys may be arranged equiangularly of the body. This provides a pleasing aesthetic appearance.

The respective bodies of the drum instrument and xylophone instrument may each comprise a pentagonal base and five separate triangular segments which are assemblable together to provide an assembled drum and xylophone instrument.

This is an alternative construction which can be produced as a large-scale floor or smaller table top teaching aid. In all embodiments the aid is constructed so as to be manipulatable by a child. This can enhance an individual's awareness and learning ability, particularly when the construction may be portable. This provides for use at any suitable location.

The aid may comprise a music code element. This provides a form of instruction for playing the musical instruments, and can be selected by a pupil. This ability to compose using the educational aid of the invention fulfils the compositional element of the National Curriculum Music Key Stages 1, 2, 3, & 4.

The music code element may suitably comprise a card which has indicia for indicating a drum element or xylophone key to be struck. This teaches a pupil, who is "rewarded" with a pleasing musical experience.

The card may comprise a pentangle with five respective indicia corresponding to a particular drum element or xylophone key. This provides the ability to play a tune.

The card may comprise a separate card which is a rectangle, and may comprise an indicia preferably relating to a shape of a drum head or indicia of a xylophone key and may be a shape and a number. Thus the code and musical instruments correspond, thereby enhancing and reinforcing the learning process.

There may be a single card bearing five separate sets of indicia. This provides for variety, as the cards can be laid out in any desired order.

There may be a base bearing a rectangular matrix and five separate cards, and each card may have an area corresponding to an element of the matrix and bearing a coloured shape and number from one to ten. This provides for an instrument to be struck at a particular shape a number of times, to produce a musical "reward" which enhances and reinforces the learning process.

An educational aid embodying the invention is hereinafter described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is an imploded perspective view of a set of parts forming a drum instrument according to the invention; Fig. 2 shows a similar view of the set of parts of Fig. 1 during assembly; Fig. 3 shows a similar view of the set of parts assembled, in one position; Fig. 4 shows a similar view of the set of parts assembled, in a second position and with drum elements in respective seatings; Fig. 5 shows a perspective view of a xylophone instrument according to the invention; Fig. 6 shows a plan view of a single coded music card according to the invention; Fig. 7 shows a plan view of a grid or matrix for receiving a plurality of cards of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 shows a plan view of an assembled set of such cards of Fig 6. and matrix of Fig. 7; Fig. 9 shows an educational aid according to the invention, comprising the instruments of Figs. 1 to 5 and the cards of Figs. 6 to 8; Fig. 10 shows a plan view of an alternative card; and Fig. 11 shows a plan view of different embodiments of drum-and xylophone-like instruments according to the invention Referring to the drawings, there is shown an educational aid 1 comprising a plurality of percussive instruments 2, 3, each comprising a resonator body means 4, 5 and separate drum 6 and xylophone elements 7, whereby to provide a variety in sound.

One percussive instrument 2 is a drum-like instrument (Figs. 1 - 4) which has drum elements 6 each in the form of drum heads 8 tightly but removably secured to the hollow resonator body means 4. The drum heads 8 are each in the form of a leather plastic or other membrane which is applied wet to the top of the resonator body means 4 so that when they shrink on drying they produce a taut membrane which is securely fixed to the resonator body means 4. The length of the resonator body means 4 of each drum element is such as to produce a required musical note, so the drum element is effectively tuned, the volume being such as to produce a require amplitude of sound or "noisiness".

There are five drum elements 6 and each has a distinctive colour so it is both readily manipulatable and identifiable. In the embodiment there is an orange circle, a blue rectangle, a red triangle, a green square, and a yellow pentagon (these being the shapes as considered in plan).

The drum instrument 2 comprises in the embodiment a base or body 9 consisting of a set of three parts, a base 10, an intermediate section 11 and a top section 12, which are superposable and relatively displaceable by rotation. The base has a central upstanding pivot pin or spigot 13, and the intermediate and top sections (in use) have a central through aperture for receiving the spigot 13.

The intermediate and top section also have apertures 14, 15 defining seatings, each aperture having a shape complementary to the external configuration of a drum element. Thus there are seatings which comprise each of a circle, rectangle, triangle, square and pentangle. The seating of the intermediate part is a blind aperture 14 of an appropriate configuration.

In use, a pupil learns to assemble the drum instrument from the set 10, 11, 12 by mounting the intermediate and top parts 11, 12 on the spigot 13, by aligning the central apertures therewith and inserting it therethrough. To produce the drum instrument 2, the intermediate and top parts 11, 12 then have to be rotated until the seatings 14, 15 are vertically aligned. Then the correct drum element 6 has to be selected and inserted in the correct seating 14, 15, for example the circular drum element has to be inserted in the circular seating. When all the drum elements 6 are inserted on their complementary seatings 14, 15, the complete drum instrument 2 with five drum heads is produced.

The overall body shape of the drum instrument is a pentangle in plan, corresponding to the five drum elements. This is the overall body shape of the xylophone instrument 3, which comprises a top surface 16 and a base 17, there being corner supports 18 supporting the top surface 16 above the base 17 a distance greater than the length of the longest resonator body means 5, which are each in the form of hollow bodies of a desired length to produce a desired musical note, hence the body means are tuned to a desired pitch too, there being a xylophone resonator body means of the same length as a drum resonator body means to provide the same pitch. The body means 5 each support a xylophone means 7 in the form in the embodiment of a wooden key, hollowed out underneath (in use) to form a concave over a central length of the key, so producing a tuned key. There are five keys and five resonator body means, each key being tuned so that it vibrates when struck at a different frequency, so producing varying pitches. The concavity is produced by removing wood from the centre of each key on its (in use) underside, in between the nodes of the sound waves produced by the key. These nodes are approximately a quarter of the length of the key from each end, hence the central intermediate part of each key is hollowed out as described. The anti-node is at the centre of the key. The resonator body means is secured below and spaced from to the underside of the key below the anti-node, by means such as dowels which locate in a frame. The keys are secured to the frame by means such as twine. This method of support allows some movement as the keys are struck and vibrate, so as not to damp out the sound produced, which is amplified by the resonator body means. The resonator body means resonate at the same frequency as the key, and are most effective when, in the embodiment, they are spaced by about 3/4". The resonator body means 5 vibrate at the pitch of the key 7, when the anti-node of the wave meets the mouth of the resonator body means, the width of that mouth determining the loudness (amplitude) of the sound. The larger the mouth, the louder the sound. The xylophone resonator body means 5 and the drum resonator body means 4 effectively form pairs of substantially the same length, the drum resonator, body means having a slightly greater volume to produce a louder drum sound.

The xylophone keys each carry a respective indicia 19, of the same colour as the drum heads, in this example a painted circle, rectangle, triangle, square and pentangle. The indicia are in the embodiment textured so that visually impaired users have access to, and benefit from, the educational aid of the invention.

The educational aid 1 also has coded music cards 20 (Figs. 6 - 8). In the embodiment, there are five separate rectangular cards 20, each with a coloured indicia 21 which corresponds with the shape and colour of a drum element 6 and a painted indicia 19 of a xylophone key 7. There is also a number 22. For example in Fig. 6, the card has a red triangle 21 and the number 2 indicated at 22. This indicates that the drum element 6 and the xylophone key 7 are to be struck twice.

There is also a card 23 with a grid or matrix 24 which has five blank spaces 25, each corresponding in area to the area of a card 20.

In use, as shown in Fig. 9, one set of coded music cards 20 can be placed on a grid 24 in front of each instrument 2, 3. The indicia on the card being identical to those of or on the instruments, the player is directed to hit the drum head or xylophone key the number of times indicated. Music is produced. Thus as shown in Fig. 8, the triangle is played once, the pentangle once and so on from left to right.

It will be understood that more than one grid can be used for a piece of music to be created, one grid can be used for both instruments, and the cards can simply be lined up, as needed, without the grid, on a table, desk, or the floor.

Fig. 10 shows an alternate coded music card 26, also in the form of a pentagon in plan, with the five shapes with a respective number and indicia such as arrows 27 indicating the order of play.

Fig. 11 shows an alternative embodiment 28 of drum and xylophone instruments 29, 30, each comprising a base tray 31 with triangular drum and xylophone segments 32, 33 which are assembled to provide a pentangle in plan.

It will be understood that the aid is portable, that 28 of Fig. 11 being for a table top application while that 1 of Figs. 1 to 10 is more for use by individuals. Each item of the instruments is readily manipulatable, particularly by a child. It will be understood that the educational aids, 1, 28 described herein with reference to the drawings are versatile, as the drum instrument and xylophone instrument can be used separately, and the drum elements can also be used independently from the body. The table-top version is usable by both individuals alone and in groups. A large version e.g. that of Fig. 11, would be big enough so that a user could have one triangular segment allocated to him/her.

In all embodiments there are differently pitched drum and xylophones, the indicia e.g. a square indicating that the drum element of that shape and the xylophone key having'that indicia have the same pitch.

It will be understood too that there may be more than two instruments, and of different shapes. However, it will be understood too that using the invention as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings, education is enhanced and reinforced, particularly as regards mathematics and musically as: (a) a pupil's understanding is enhanced by using manipulatable objects; (b) interaction with mathematical language is enhanced by using mathematical names and description of their properties, for example by reference to the number of sides and corners; (c) the recognition of patterns is enhanced, as is the concept of odd and even numbers; (d) enhancing counting and ordering by solving problems using objects; (e) sorting and classifying objects is learnt; (f) participation in music making is enhanced; (g) musical compositions may be undertaken and completed; and (h) appreciation of cause and effect according to which coded music coded card is chosen is achieved.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. An educational aid, comprising a plurality of percussive instruments, each comprising resonator body means and separate drum and xylophone means, whereby to provide a variety in sound.
2. An educational aid according to Claim 1, the separate means comprising xylophone keys and drum heads adapted to be mounted on a particular resonator body means.
3. An educational aid according to Claim 2, the percussive instruments comprising a set of separate drum-and xylophone-like instruments.
4. An educational aid according to Claim 3, the drum-like instrument comprising a plurality of separate drum elements.
5. An educational aid according to Claim 4, there being five separate drum elements mountable in a body of the drum-like instrument.
6. An educational aid according to Claim 5, each drum element having a characteristic shape.
7. An educational aid according to Claim 6, the shapes being respectively a circle, a rectangle, a triangle, a square and a pentagon, as considered in plan.
8. An educational aid according to Claim 7, each shape having a characteristic colour whereby to enhance learning when using the drum instrument.
9. An educational aid according to Claim 8, the colours and shapes of the drum elements respectively comprising an orange circle, a blue rectangle, a red triangle, a green square and a yellow pentagon.
10. An educational aid according to any of Claims 4 to 9, each drum element comprising a hollow resonator body and a drum head secured thereto by shrinkage.
11. An educational aid according to Claim 10, the drum heads comprising a leather membrane which is applied wet to a hollow resonator body.
12. An educational aid according to Claim 11, each drum element being tuned differently.
13. An educational aid according to any of Claims 7 to 12, the drum-like instrument comprising a body in which there is a plurality of seatings each of which has a complementary shape to that of a drum element.
14. An educational aid according to Claim 13, each drum element being removably mountable in its respective seating.
15. An educational aid according to Claim 14, the body of the drum-like instrument being assemblable from a set of parts.
16. An educational aid according to Claim 15, the set of parts comprising a plurality of stackable parts which are relatively movable horizontally.
17. An educational aid according to Claim 16, there being three parts which are stackable, and which are rotatable about a central axis, whereby the parts are relatively movable horizontally.
18. An educational aid according to Claim 17, there being a base part comprising a central upstanding (in use) spigot and two separate parts which are superposable and each comprising a central through orifice for receiving the spigot, each of the two said parts having respective through apertures, whereby the apertures are alignable on rotation of the said two parts to provide the seatings for removable mounting therein of the associated drum element.
19. An educational aid according to Claim 18, the body of the drum instrument being pentagonal in plan view.
20. An educational aid according to any of Claims 3 to 19, the xylophonelike instrument comprising a body having a plurality of xylophone elements.
21. An educational aid according to Claim 20, there being five xylophone elements.
22. An educational aid according to Claim 21, the five xylophone elements each comprising a hollow resonator body and a xylophone key.
23. An educational aid according to Claim 22, each xylophone key comprising a wooden key.
24. An educational aid according to Claim 23, each hollow resonator body being tuned and supported below a key.
25. An educational aid according to Claim 24, each key having a concave portion on its underside (in use) extending over a central portion of the key which is substantially half the length of the key.
26. An educational aid according to Claim 25, the key being secured above the resonator body by respective supporting means.
27. An educational aid according to Claim 26, the supporting means for the key comprising twine.
28. An educational aid according to any of Claims 24 to 27, each key having an indicia corresponding in shape and colour to a particular drum element, whereby a particular key and drum element are indicated as having a similar pitch.
29. An educational aid according to Claim 28, the indicia being painted and/or textured on a key.
30. An educational aid according to any of Claims 20 to 29, the body of the xylophone instrument comprising substantially a pentangle in plan view.
31. An educational aid according to Claim 28, the keys being arranged equiangularly of the body.
32. An educational aid according to any of Claims 3 to 15, the respective bodies of the drum instrument and xylophone instrument each comprising a pentagonal base and five separate triangular segments which are assemblable together to provide an assembled drum and xylophone instrument.
33. An educational aid according to any preceding claim, which is manually manipulatable by a child.
34. An educational aid according to any preceding claim, which is portable.
35. An educational aid according to any preceding claim, comprising a music code element.
36. An educational aid according to Claim 35, the music code element comprising a card which has indicia for indicating a drum element or xylophone key to be struck.
37. An educational aid according to Claim 36, the card comprising a pentangle with five respective indicia corresponding to a particular drum element or xylophone key.
38. An educational aid according to Claim 36, the card comprising a separate card which is a rectangle, comprising an indicia comprising a shape of a drum head and xylophone key.
39. An educational aid according to Claim 38, the indicia also comprising a number.
40. An educational aid according to Claim 39, there being a single card bearing five separate sets of indicia.
41. An educational aid according to Claim 40, there being a grid bearing a rectangular matrix and five separate cards, each card having an area corresponding to that of an element of the matrix.
42. An educational aid according to Claim 41, the indicia of the five separate cards comprising a particular shape and number from one to ten.
43. An educational aid, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
44. An educational aid according to any of Claims 3 to 43, modified in comprising only a drum-like instrument.
45. An educational aid according to any of Claims 3 to 43, modified in comprising only a xylophone-like instrument.