Music - The air guitar
Characters: Steve, the professor.
Topic: orchestral instruments
Language focus: can four ability
Scene 1
(Steve is in the living room with the professor, trying to play musical instruments
– first trombone)
Steve: I can´t play the trombone. (tries recorder) Can´t play the recorder. (tries violin) Can´t play the violin. (tries guitar)
Professor: Stop, stop!
Steve: Oh, it´s no good, I just can´t play the guitar, I give up.
Professor: well, Steve you have tried three out of the four main groups of instruments in an orchestra, but I am sure you can play something.
(To camera) I love the sound of the violin. Violins are like cellos and violas (names appear on the screen), they are string instruments. The strings vibrate when they are played, and the sound travels through the air in a wave to our ears which our brain interprets as music.
(to camera) Well, Steve tried to play the trombone. What instruments are like the trombone?
And what do you think that group is called?
Steve: Trombones are similar to trumpets and saxophones (names of instruments appear on the screen), they are made of brass so they must be Brass instruments and make up the
Brass section of an orchestra. But I can’t play any Brass instruments. I tried, but I just can’t.
Professor: (looks a little sympathetic at Steve then turns to camera) but that’s correct they are Brass instruments. They create musical notes by amplifying vibrations in the tubular resonator.
Steve, you tried the recorder next didn’t you?
(turns to camera) So what about the recorder? What instruments are similar and what do we call that group?
Steve: Well, recorders are similar to flutes, clarinets and oboes. With all those instruments you blow through a reed at the top. It’s quite difficult actually... well I can’t do it anyway…

Professor: But I think you can do it Steve. You just need to spend longer than 5 minutes practicing before you give up. (to camera) but recorders, flutes, clarinets and oboes (names appear on the screen) are woodwind instruments, and like the Brass instruments, musical notes are made by changing the size or the length of the tubular resonator.
(to camera) so we have looked at string instruments, brass instruments, and woodwind instruments. But what´s the missing fourth section from an orchestra, what instruments do you think are in that missing section?
Steve: it’s my favourite section! With drums, cymbals, xylophones, and triangles (names appear on the screen) , it’s the percussion section. And you make sounds just by hitting stuff.
Professor: it’s a bit more complicated than that, but yeah it is the percussion section.
Now Steve, I know you’ve always wanted to play a musical instrument but you have never given time to practice, but I have got a surprise for you. Come with me…Come on.
Scene 2
(Steve and the professor walk to some doors similar to those on the solar system clip, the doors open to a large but empty room)
Professor: Ta Da! What do you think? Amazing (Stev e looks confused), isn’t it?
Because you told me that you can’t play any string instruments like the violin, well now you can!
You told me that you can’t play any woodwind instruments like the flute well know you can!
And you told me you can’t play brass instruments like the saxophone well now you can!
Steve: wait a minute wait a minute! Have you gone a bit crazy? There’s there´s nothing here!
Professor: that’s the best part! You don’t have to carry around heavy instruments anymore.
Just pick them up and start to play.
(the professor picks up an invisible violin and starts to play, we hear a lovely violin sound)
Steve: Hey, how are you doing that? What’s going on?

Professor: Oh, of course, you can’t see any of my air instruments because I haven’t turned on the ultraviolet lights.
(The professor taps on his phone and an ultraviolet glow fills the room, highlighting many different orchestral instruments, including a large drum kit in the middle)
Steve: Oh oh oh oh, hey! You have made an actual air guitar, along with lots of other instruments! This is really cool.
Professor: yeah the guitar is one of my favourites, listen.
(The professor picks up the air guitar and plays some rock solo while looking very happy with himself)
Anyway because I know that the percussion section is your favourite, I've made you a full air drum kit.
(Steve walks to the drum kit and sits down begins to play)
Steve: Oh, wow, great, yeah (Steve pauses for a moment and turns to the camera) can you play a musical instrument? Uh hu. Can you play the air guitar or the air drums? I am sure you can, it is easy and great fun. Tell you what, choose one person to stand in front of the classroom now and play any air musical instrument than the others must guess what they are playing. Go on, will be great fun.
(the professor walks out of the room, leaving Steve inside to play the air drums while the door closes)
Professor: Okay, you now know the string instruments are one of the four main groups in an orchestra. So can you remember the other three? What are they?
Did you say woodwind? (drop down text), percussion? (drop down text), and Brass? (drop down text). Well if you did you would be correct!
Now, before I go can you answer this? Which is the odd one out? And tell your teacher why.
There is the trumpet …the trombone…the flute…and the violin.
Good luck and ciao for now.