Washboard Music

By Adele Lowen
- Talk about and discuss how long ago people did not have very much money so
they made musical instruments out of their household items.
- If you have a washboard bring it in to show the class. If you do not have access
to any, pull up images of them on the smartboard for the students to see. A paint
tray is a great substitute for a washboard.
- Explain that a washboard was a washing machine:
- the washboard was set in the tub
- water was hauled from the outside source, heated on the stove, and then
poured into the tub
- a piece of homemade soap was used to rub on the clothes and then the
clothes were rubbed on the washboard (the ribbed surface is made
of glass, wood, or tin)
- clothes were rinsed and hung on a laundry line, either outside in the yard
or inside the house, to dry
- When music was wanted, someone would sit in a chair, put the washboard
between their knees and lean it against their chest. Rubbing, tapping or scraping
the ribs with wooden spoons allowed the musician to create fabulous rhythms.
Instead of using spoons, the musician would put thimbles on their fingers to
create a new sound.
- *click on the links below for information on how to play the washboard and to
see video clips of washboard music. Discuss the musical concepts as you listen to
the music:
- a washboard belongs to the percussion family because it has to be hit or
struck to create the sound
- music may move evenly or unevenly
- music is made up of long sounds, short sounds and silences
- rhythm patterns can accompany melody
- beats may be grouped by accent
- rhythm is created by combining beat, tempo, patterns, metre and
duration
- two or more sounds can occur simultaneously
- melodies may be accompanied by harmony
- identify the musical genre or style of the song

Curriculum Concepts:
Rhythm: 2, 3, 6, 8, 19, 20
Harmony: 1, 2
Expression: 11, 15, 18
Listening: 5, 7, 18, 29
- If you have a class set of paint trays, you could then extend this lesson by
creating some washboard music to go with a poem (this would add more
curriculum concepts, depending on what you do)