Sound

Key Stage 1

We hear sound with our ears.

Sound is something that we hear with our ears.

Singular Noun: Sound

Plural Noun: Sounds

Verb: Sound

A sound can be loud or quiet.

A sound can be low or high pitched.


The sound of a mouse's squeak is very 'high pitched'.	A tuba makes a deep or 'low pitched' sound.

Shouting, screaming and yelling are all loud sounds.	Whispering is a very quiet sound.

Sound is a vibration that passes through the air to our ears.

Sounds are caused by materials vibrating.

Sound has to travel through a medium. If there is no medium, sound cannot get form one place to another.

Sound travels through the air because it makes the air vibrate. If there were no air sound could not travel to our ears.

Sounds can be high or low pitched.

Sounds can be loud or quiet.

The size of an instrument can affect the pitch. Bigger instruments make a lower pitch sound.

A small 'soprano' saxophone makes a high pitched sound.	An 'alto' saxophone makes the second highest pitch.	A tenor saxophone makes the second lowest pitch.	A large 'bass' saxophone makes a low pitched sound.

Thicker strings make lower pitched sounds.

A regular guitar has thin strings and can make high pitched sounds.	A 'bass' guitar has thick strings and makes low pitched sounds.

The shorter the strings, the higher pitched a sound.

The shorter strings on a harp make a higher pitched sound.

The tighter the strings the higher pitched the sound.

The pegs on the end of a stringed instrument can make the strings tighter or looser.

The bigger the vibration, the louder the sound.

When you hit a drum hard, it makes a louder sound because the vibration is bigger.	When you pluck a guitar string harder, it makes a louder sound because the vibration is bigger.	Blow harder down a tube it makes a louder sound because the vibration is bigger.