The instrument I made is called "Let's Go Swimmin'!"  It is a tambourine.  My Mom and Dad helped me make it.  I wanted to make a tambourine because my sister made one last year and it looked cool.  It took me three weeks to complete my tambourine.

To make my tambourine my Mom and I went to Big K to buy my art supplies. The supplies contained:  different colors of model paint, sea blue spray paint, paint brushes, primer, clips, seashells, washers and a pan.  When my Mom and I went to buy a pan for the base of my tambourine, I hit some of them and picked the pie pan that sounded the best.

Then my Dad helped me prime the pie pan.  He showed me how to spray the primer.  I sprayed the first coat.  I was asleep when it was time for the second coat of primer, so my Dad sprayed that coat.

In the morning my Dad and I went to the garage to drill holes on the edges of my pie pan.  I decided to drill six holes.  Then I sprayed the sea blue paint on my tambourine.  My Dad showed me how to spray the paint.  I had to do this twice.

The next day I decided what the design on my tambourine should be.  I drew different designs on paper and chose the one I liked best.  I painted a dolphin, fish, coral, seaweed, and sand.  I painted eyes and mouths on my fish and dolphin too.

Next, I put the washers on the tambourine.  I tried different sizes and amounts of washers on the clips attached to the tambourine.  I shook and banged my tambourine.  I knew that two small washers on each clip sounded the best.  The next day my Dad and I glued seashells on the side of the tambourine with epoxy glue.

When I make the sound on my tambourine, I hit and shake it.  To make my tambourine's dynamics loud, I hit it very hard and shake it very fast.  I make a quiet sound on my tambourine when I hit it softly and shake it slowly.  To make the pitch sound low I hit it with the palm of my hand and shake it smoothly.  To make it sound high I hit it with my knuckles and shake it quickly.  The timbre of my tambourine sounds like a sleigh with jingle bells on it and tree branches hitting its side.  Sometimes, I can make it sound like my brother jumping on the floor causing glass to shake.   

The tambourine is a percussion instrument that came from the Near East. Tambourines were popular in places such as Egypt, Assyria and China.  People played the tambourine at feasts, festivals and funerals. http://www.s-hamilton.k12.ia.us/antiqua/percuss.htm

Making my tambourine was hard work, but it all paid off in the end.  My tambourine looks beautiful and sounds very cool.  I am so glad that I decided to make a tambourine.