Catch the Gullah Beat: Rhythm and Percussion

​Making Gullah Musical Instruments
This lesson provides students with an opportunity to construct, decorate and play instruments like those brought with Gullah people from West Africa. Traditional West African drums are made from either a hollowed-out log or tree trunk with the skin of an antelope or goat, which has been soaked and stretched over the top of the hollow drum. Bells come in all shapes and sizes and are most often played with sticks. Rattles also come in all shapes and sizes too, and are made from gourds, woven baskets, shells, and other materials. The banjo, originally banjar, was brought from West Africa to the barrier islands. Once they arrived in North America, Gullah people used a variety of everyday objects to create beautiful instruments, rhythms and music.

Students choose from a variety of materials to create instruments: Drums, bells, maracas, shakers, sand blocks, rhythm sticks, box banjo or guitar, spoons, and tambourines. 

Offer a variety of the following materials: 
•    anything hollow 
•    plastic
•    metal or cardboard containers
•    pots, pans
•    coffee cans
•    Pringle’s can
•    oatmeal or shoe boxes and lids
•    towel tubes
•    paper plates
•    aluminum pie plates
•    gourds--just let them dry naturally 
•    wood blocks
•    sand paper
•    soda bottle caps
•    assorted pasta
•    beans
•    rice
•    sand
•    gravel
•    shells or anything that would make a nice sound 
•    cut dowel sticks
•    craft sticks or natural sticks
•    metal and wooden spoons
•    rubber bands
•    string
•    assorted trimmings
•    pipe cleaners yarn
•    beads
•    fringe
•    small shells
•    glue sticks
•    hole punch
•    glue gun and tape
•    construction paper
•    decorative paper or fabric scraps
•    markers
•    crayons
•    paint
•    pencils