Grade 6 Creative Arts & Sports Study Notes

Creating and Executing

In this strand you will make things, learn skills, and express ideas through art, music, and movement.

Sub-strand 1.1 has two parts:

• String musical instruments — identifying Kenyan instruments, their parts, making a fiddle, and caring for it.
• Drawing — creating still-life pictures of instruments using the stippling technique.

String Musical Instruments from Different Indigenous Communities in Kenya

A string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by vibrating its string.

The string is set in motion by plucking, bowing, or striking it.

Most communities in Kenya have indigenous string instruments. They are mainly played to accompany folk songs and dances.

String instruments vary in design, shape, size, number of strings, and method of playing.

There are five groups:

Fiddles

Fiddles are one- or two-string instruments played by bowing — a bow is drawn back and forth across the string to make it vibrate.

💡 When we learn about instruments from other communities, we appreciate their culture and become better citizens of Kenya.

Musical Bows

Musical bows are one-string instruments played by striking or plucking. They come in three types:

1. Ground Bows

The string is stretched over a hole dug in the ground. The hole acts as the resonator.
📌 Example: Nderemo — Kikuyu.

2. Mouth Bows

The player holds one end to their open mouth. The mouth acts as the resonator.
📌 Example: Obokano — Kuria.

3. Hunter's Bow Type

Shaped like a hunting bow; the bow body or an attached gourd resonates the sound.
📌 Examples: Uta — Mijikenda; Limoyi — Luhya.

Harps

Harps have an arched neck. The strings run from the neck down to a sound box. The strings are of different lengths — shorter strings give higher notes; longer strings give lower notes. They are played by plucking.

📌 Example: Adeudeu — Iteso community.

Lyres

Lyres have two upright arms and a crossbar joining them at the top. Strings run from the crossbar down to the resonator. Lyres have five to eight strings and are played by plucking.

Zithers

A zither has a flat, shallow sound box with strings stretched across it. It is played by plucking or strumming. The body itself is the resonator. A zither has no separate neck assembly.

📌 Example: Makhana of the Marachi (Western Kenya) — made of dry reeds whose raised bark acts as the strings. Bridges at both ends tighten the bark. Plucking the bark produces sound amplified by the reeds.

More String Instruments from Kenyan Communities

Functions of Parts of a String Instrument

String instruments are made of different parts. Each part has a specific job.

Parts of a fiddle

Parts of a Nyatiti (lyre)

A lyre has more parts than a fiddle because it has multiple strings, two arms, and a crossbar.

Functions of All Parts

Notes: Most resonators are made of wood; some are gourds. Ground bows use a hole in the ground as the resonator. Mouth bows use the player's mouth.

Materials Used in Traditional Fiddles

• Membrane — animal skin (goat or cattle) or strong fabric like canvas, stretched tightly over the resonator.
• Resonator — gourds, hollow tubes, or hollow wood.
• Strings — thin wire.
• Bow — a strong, flexible stick strung with sisal string.

Making a Fiddle Using Recyclable Materials

A fiddle can be made from recyclable materials found locally. This also helps conserve the environment.

For the fiddle body

• Hollow gourd or wooden tube — resonator
• Animal skin or strong fabric — membrane
• Straight piece of wood — neck
• Thin wire or string
• Glue or small nails
• Sharp knife or carving tools

For the bow

• A strong, flexible stick
• Sisal string — bowstring
• Rosin — a wax made from pine tree sap; firms the bowstring and increases friction for sound
• Glue

Safety Rules

1. Keep blades sharp — a sharp blade is safer than a blunt one. Always cut away from your body.
2. Store tools safely when not in use.
3. Always work under adult supervision.
4. Keep your working area clean and clear.