An interactive history lesson about ancient musical instruments.
This cookie-cutter offering is broken into four sections. The
brief introduction—painfully slow when the app’s narrator reads
it—offers a few foundational facts about music in the ancient
world. Next comes “Learn & Listen,” a collection of 11
instruments (two of them human voices) accompanied by text that
gives a brief description and a few facts about the instrument.
Tapping the active instrument triggers a short demonstration,
though the animated movements aren’t synced with the audio.
Disappointingly, the harp demo consists of two notes played
repeatedly at the same rhythmic interval; little ears and
fingers will be begging for a glissando. Furthermore, the little
man who demonstrates one of the lyres is plucking it with his
finger, but the sound is distinctly bowlike. Once all the
instruments have been demonstrated, readers can move to “The
Orchestra,” where one or all instruments can be tapped to create
unique combinations of sound (playing