Welcome to the Percussion Play Blog
We hope you'll be a regular visitor as we share stories about the instruments we make and the people who play them.
This is where we share our passion for music in the great outdoors! We'll share with you details of exciting new outdoor music projects and designs from around the globe. We'll share with you information about the instruments we sell and a little about the inspiration behind them
Most importantly, this blog is about what we love to do the most - help you create new and exciting ways to bring music to the great outdoors.
Thank you for reading, visiting, commenting and contributing - we’re excited to have you here!
Inspired by Tradition – Harmony Outdoor Xylophone
Along with rice, another crop harvested in Vietnam is bamboo. Bamboo has long been used as an assembly material in Asia because of its versatility and it has numerous uses. After it is split, bamboo can be used for fences, baskets, and mats. The stems can make simple furniture, hunting implements, traps and musical instruments.
Two of the most popular traditional folk instruments in Vietnam are made from bamboo—the bamboo flute and the bamboo ‘hanging’ xylophone. The flute is found in most regions, while the xylophone hails from the mountainous region and is called a T’Rung. The T’Rung is an idiophone, percussive instrument made from lengths of bamboo in differing sizes. Traditionally, the T’rung would be suspended at the top from a tree and bound to the players belly at the bottom. It would be played with two double sticks which perfectly cover the range of one octave. After playing it would be rolled up and carried away on the players back.
The design of Percussion Play’s...
Making Music: A Peek Inside Percussion Play Workshop
Take a peek inside our workshop, meet the team and see our experts in action.
Designing outdoor musical instruments takes planning, knowledge and imagination, but what's even more impressive is the actual making - maybe a much more industrial yet craftsman-like process than you'd imagine. All Percussion Play instruments are designed and produced by dedicated and highly skilled craftsmen in the beautiful county of Hampshire right here in the heart of the United Kingdom. Delivering musical instruments to the world which are fun and exciting but sound amazing too. Because like you, we love music.
We are focused team and thrive on encouraging individuals to flourish in their music making. It all starts with having a go, and to have a go we need access to good musical instruments in our communities. We’ve designed a whole host of exciting user-friendly instruments that kids and adults can use to explore the joy of composing and music making in our open spaces; playgrounds, forests and...
Using Outdoor Musical Instruments On World Book Day
In the UK and Ireland today is World Book Day!
World Book Day is a celebration of children’s books and reading and marked in over 100 countries around the globe – although in other countries World Book Day takes place at a different time of year (usually in April).
This is the 20th year there’s been a World Book Day, and on 2nd March 2017 children of all ages will come together to appreciate reading. Hundreds of schools and bookshops all over the UK and Ireland will be taking part. Books are such a fun springboard in to all sorts of activities, crafts, play and of course…..music! And now spring is just around the corner (oh please let it be so!), it’s the perfect time to step outside and put your outdoor musical instruments to excellent use.
We all know that birds are great singers but what kind of sound would a Gruffalo make? Or the Very Hungry Caterpillar munching his way from being tiny to growing big and fat. Or the BFG, stomping across the countryside? An outdoor...
Outdoor Musical Playgrounds - More Than Just Play
Outdoor Musical Instruments in the playground provide a non-threatening and fun outlet for creative and emotional expression and through the medium of music many essential life skills can be learned. Music can have a profound effect on anyone, but the benefits of exposing a child with special needs to music can be huge.
Socially, music is a great leveller. There is no right or wrong in music, so it holds no fear for children, who feel safe to experiment with self-expression. This leads to a sense of achievement and pride that may be difficult to find elsewhere, particularly for those with low levels of motivation. The subsequent increased self-esteem and confidence can then be transferred to other areas of their lives. Through music a child can express their emotions, develop a sense of rhythm (which will in turn support their physical development), develop their communication skills, benefit from auditory and tactile stimulation (through the vibrations of the music) and relax. Every...
Small and Perfectly Formed Play Area Outdoor Xylophones
Cadenzas are scaled down outdoor musical instruments perfect for one player and comfortable enough for two. As with all our instruments, the Cadenza is strong, weather-proof and durable. The Cadenza is available in three different styles.
First we have the 'Woden'. The notes of the Woden are made from a hardwood called Ipe. The ipe notes give a lovely rich mellow tone with a long sustain.
Next up is the 'Alumba'. The notes of the Alumba are made from GRP (glass reinforced plastic/fibreglass). The Alumba sounds sweet and produces bright and pure tones.
Finally, we have the Maya. The notes of the 'Maya' are made from aluminium. The Maya has quick and easy response and brilliant tone producing beautiful celestial sounds.
The notes on the Cadenzas are arranged as a traditional xylophone or glockenspiel with low to high notes going from left to right. There are no wires or strings as the notes are individually and securely attached to the resonators for maximum vibration with incredible...
Taking The Music Lesson Outdoors This Term
Outdoor musical instruments make wonderful playground equipment for schools and nurseries as well as outdoor learning and music resources. At an early age children are learning to enjoy and appreciate music and therefore don't need a formal learning environment. Children often feel less inhibited outdoors and musical playground equipment will help you introduce basic musical concepts whilst being sure that the focus is on fun. Due to their clever design and use of the pentatonic scale, our outdoor percussion instruments are so easy to play that children are able to develop musical skills without having to manage any technical demands of an instrument, showing children what can be expressed and achieved through music.
Being outdoors helps ensure children have a genuine freedom of musical expression. Behind this is the notion of experimentation, of flexibility, of having a go. Most important of all, they come to understand the pleasure of enjoying music.
Using musical instruments in...