Adaptive Musical Instruments

Adapting Traditional Instruments

Definition

Adaptive musical instruments come in many forms and may include creating a completely new instrument or simply adapting certain features of an existing instrument to suit the individual's needs. Many people with disabilities are also able to adapt the way that an instrument is played without adapting the instrument itself.


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Selecting an Instrument

In order to choose the appropriate instrument suitable for a student with a disability, certain considerations should be taken into account.


  1. Student Choice - Choose an instrument according to what the student is interested in playing. This is an important factor because students will often overcome enormous odds when they are really determined to do something.

  2. Student's Physical Coordination - Playing an instrument involves many kinds of physical coordination: gross motor skills, fine motor skills, eye/hand and left/right coordination all have a vital part to play. Almost any disability affects one or more areas of coordination. Since each instrument has its own pattern of coordination demands, this is is even more relevant than physical strength.

  3. Student's Physical Strength - The physical condition of the player should also be taken into account. Some instruments require more physical strength than others but it may be possible to adapt the playing position or to obtain stands and other aids to offset the weight.


4. Instrument Size - Some instruments are obviously bigger than others, but teachers

should also consider the relative size of the student.


5. Visual Perception - The visual presentation of music for each instrument can range in

complexity (e.g., piano vs. trumpet). Additionally, some instruments commonly play

slower music than others and this allows more time to decode the music. However,

a student with a great facility for playing by ear can learn their music with a

minimum of music reading.


6. Auditory Perception - The auditory perception and comfort of students is very complex

and individual. Thus, the timbre and note range of the instrument should be a

assessed in order to meet the needs of each student.

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