The Stories of Musical Instruments

by Stepanka Sekaninova, Jakub Cenkl (Illustrator)

Overview

A comprehensive overview of the origin of the world’s best-known musical instruments, presenting many fascinating facts along the way.

Niccolo the cricket would like to become a musician. But which instrument should he start with? The violin? The guitar? The trumpet? All at once? Well, he does have six limbs, so why not? In any case, Niccolo and his trusty companion Luciano the nightingale travel the world as they learn about musical instruments of all kinds, from simple drums to the most sophisticated church organs.

Do you know what didgeridoo, shamisen, or vozembouch are? Would you rather become a member of symphony orchestra or a rock band? Let´s find out! If you are interested in music at least a little, join Niccolo and Luciano and learn the stories of musical instruments along with them.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9788000059327
Publisher:	Albatros Media
Publication date:	05/25/2021
Pages:	68
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Stepanka Sekaninova used to work as a TV reporter and in the production of children’s programs. Now she is a writer and an editor-in-chief, living in the Czech Republic.

Jakub Cenkl is a Czech illustrator. After enrolling in an Electrical Engineering and Computer Science program, he soon found it wasn't for him and transferred to a teacher-training program in art education. There, he discovered his passion for graphic design and began to learn it in his spare time. When he's not in front of his computer, he enjoys running in the hills to clear his head.

Read an Excerpt

WHAT IS A VIOLIN? A violin is a bowed string instrument with a truly beautiful sound. As its tone is not one of the strongest, there are so many violins in an orchestra to ensure that it is properly heard and not drowned out by the wind instruments. The violin has long been an important part of the classical tradition, especially in Europe. BOW The violin has four strings and is played with the bow. The bow is composed of a wooden stick with a ribbon of horsehair strung taut from end to end. In the past, a violin bow looked more like an archer’s bow – indeed, this instrument of combat was an important inspiration in its creation. Professionals refer to movements of the bow across the strings as strokes. A LITTLE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE BOW The first bows originated in ancient times in India and Persia. The bow appeared in north Africa and Spain around the 6th century. From the 17th century or thereabouts, the bow became straighter as it became progressively more like the bow of today.

Table of Contents

PIANO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA POLYPHONIC INSTRUMENTS VIOLIN BIG BAND PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS BRASS INSTRUMENTS MILITARY BAND RELATIVES OF THE TRUMPET DIXIELAND JAZZ FLUTES AND WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS ROCK BAND GUITAR & LUTE PIPHAT ETHNIC AND FOLK INSTRUMENTS ELECTRONIC MUSIC

Editorial Reviews

"My favorite part is the development of the piano since I am a pianist. I loved the cute illustrations in this book! The artwork really brings the history to life. I like that the design has small paragraphs of text so that it is easy to read and absorb the snippets of information. As a musician, I really appreciated all the music history, the explanations about types of music, the nature of sounds for each instrument, and how different styles developed." —Luminous Libros

"This is a great book for kids and adults that are interested in the origins of various music. Music is important to culture and the human experience, and many learning tools are through music. It is a culturally diverse approach, and the illustrations are colorful and lighthearted." ―Jordan Gray, Librarian

"The Stories of Musical Instruments by Stepanka Sekaninova and Jakub Cenkl- This book features many different instruments from around the world from Japanese flutes to didgeridoos. It is packed with interesting information from how the instruments are made, their cultural history, impacts they had on the music scene and so much more. There is a lot to read in this book and it is all nicely categorized by instrument type with a table of contents at the beginning." —Book Nerd Mommy Blog

"This book offers a very useful support in explaining children the different musical instruments, as well as introducing a bit of musical history." —WildWritingLife, Blogger

From the Publisher