ROUTES & RHYTHM 

During this project, we as volunteers have learnt about a spectrum of different African instruments. 

Whilst the drum is one of the most common African instrument in today's society, we learnt about the melodic instruments that are not as common as the drum in modern day. Instruments such as the Mbira - was one of the first forms of what we call a 'piano'. The same pentatonic scales were transfered from this instrument to the Western system of scales (especially diatonic). This shows the major influence African instruments had on contemporary musical instruments and taught us the origins of where it all began. 

As well as African instruments, we also learnt about the traditional instruments played in Brazil - one called the Berimbau. This uses a hollow calabash and a long metal string connected to a wooden 'neck', where the pitch is altered by a bridge between the neck and the string - using a large pebble/stone.