DescriptionofMusicalInstruments

By:LaraFleischhauer,EvaBrandis,CaseyElmhirst,JessicaStewart,andEmmaReid

Chimes:RainSticks
Addingmorenailstoourmailingtubescausesalowerpitch.Forourchime
instrument,wecreatedsixdifferentrainsticks.Wemadethree24inrainsticksandthree
36inrainsticks.Wefilledthreewith360mlofgarbanzobeansandtheotherthreewith
360mlofpintobeans.Wemadeonesmallandonelarge30nailrainstick,onesmall
andonelarge53nailrainstick,andonesmallandonelarge70nailrainstick.Wefound
thatthesizeofthetubeplaysnoimpactonthenoteorsounditproduces,thisis
becausethecardboardissosoftitdoesntvibrate.Wealsofoundthatpintobeans
createalowerpitchthangarbanzobeans,becausetheyarebiggerandheavierand
thereforevibrateslower.Also,theamountofnailscreatesdifferentsounds.For
example,the70nailrainstickscreatedmuchlowernotesthanthe30nailrainsticks.We
knowthatthisistruebecausethenailsarevibratingslower.Thenailsarevibrating
slowerbecausethebeansaregoingmuchslowerbecauseofalltheobstacles(nails)
andthiscausesthenailstonotbehitwithabigforcesothenailsvibrateslower
creatingadeepnote.Howeverwerenotsurewhy.Ideallyafterthisprojectwewould
testthisbyputtingaslowmotioncamerainthebottom.Intheend,wefiguredoutthat
addingmorenailscreatesalowerpitch,thetubesizedoesntaffectthesound,andthe
pintobeanscreatelowernotesthanthegarbanzobeans.

ADDPICTURE

DepthofNote

MaterialInside

NumberofNails

Length(doesnot
changedeepness
ofnote)

Deepest

PintoBeans

70

LongorShort

Deep

PintoBeans

53

LongorShort

Medium

PintoBeans

30

LongorShort

MediumHigh

GarbanzoBeans

70

LongorShort

High

GarbanzoBeans

53

LongorShort

Highest

GarbanzoBeans

30

LongorShort


Wind:Flute
Thenotescreatedbyawindinstrumentdependontheplacementfromthe
embouchurehole.Whenblowingintoaflute,thesoundiscreatedbyasplittingofthe
air.Thismovementofaircreateshighpressureattheembouchure,whiletheendof
thefluteisatatmospheric.Tocompleteonewave,thepressure,lowers,returnsto
neutral,andrisestoaboveatmosphericonceagain(seediagrambelow).Becauseonly
ofthewaveoccursinsidethetube,theholesshouldbeofthewavelengthofthe
desirednote.Istartedbyusingtheidealmeasurements,foundon
thiswebsite
,foraG
ABbCDEbFGscale.Thesemeasurementsdidnotplayoutinpractice,however,
duetothemanyvariablesposedintherealworld.ThescaleofflutenumberoneisF#
EbDbBBbAbF#.Oneofthemaincauseswasunpredictablemovementofair.Idid
anexperimenttoseewhetherembouchureholeplacementinfluencedthenote.Imade
twosmallflutes,each32.3cmlongoutofinchschedule40pipe.Theonewiththe
embouchure4cmfromtheendproducedanFonthelowoctaveandAonthehigh
octave.Theother,withanembouchure7cmfromtheend,playedDbonthelow
octaveandGonthehighoctave.Thisshowsthattheholeplacementcausesan
inconsistentshiftinthewavelengththatmakesthemathimprecise.Thenotecanalso
bechangedbyrollingtheembouchureinorout.Asmallflutewithahole19cmfrom
theendcanplayanFbyrollingforwardandanErollinginwards.Lastly,Imade
anotherflutebyshiftingtheholesslightly.Itwasmovedtowardstheembouchurefora
lowerorflatternoteandouttowardstheopenendforahigherorsharpernote.This
workedbeautifully,andthenewscalewasGABbCDE(slightlysharp)FG.The
holesfurtherouthavedeepernotes,becausethewavelengthiswidened,causinga
lowerfrequencyandpitch.Thiscanbeexplainedbytheequationf(frequency)=v(wave
speed)/wavelength.Whenthewavelengthiswidened,thefrequencymustlowerto
balancetheequation.

ADDPICTURE

Highneutrallowneutralhigh


Flute#1
note

(cm)

(cm)

Distancefrom
Embouchure(cm)

Distancefrom
Stopper(cm)

airflow

fingering

G3

176

44

37.2

40.2

low

16

G#/Ab3

166.1 41.5

28.7

31.7

more

15

A#/Bb3

148

78.5

26.5

29.5

more

14

B3

139.7 34.9

23.8

26.8

more

13

C#/Db4 124.5 31.1

19.5

22.5

more

12

D#/Eb4

16.8

19.8

more

15.5

18.5

more

110.9 27.7

F #/Gb4 93.2

23.3

G4

88

22

37.2

40.2

medium

(cm)

(cm)

16

Distancefrom
Embouchure(cm)

Distancefrom
Stopper(cm)

airflow

fingering

F #/Gb3 186.5 46.6

38

41

low

16

G#/Ab3 166.1 41.5

30.3

33.3

more

15

A#/Bb3 148

78.5

26.3

29.3

more

14

139.7 34.9

24.5

27.5

more

13

C#/Db4 124.5 31.1

20.6

23.6

more

12

D#/Eb4 110.9 27.7

17.6

20.6

more

F4

Flute#2
Note

B3

98.8

24.7

15.1

18.1

more

F #/Gb4 93.2

23.3

38

41

medium

16

Flute#3
Note

(cm)

(cm)

Distancefrom
Embouchure(cm)

Distancefrom airflow
Stopper(cm)

fingering

G3

176

44

37.4

40.4

low

16

A3

156.8 39.2

28.8

31.8

more

15

26.8

29.8

more

14

Bb/C#3 148

37

C4

131.9 33.0

23.4

26.4

more

13

D4

117.4 29.4

19.5

22.5

more

12

Eb/F #4 110.9 27.7

17.3

20.3

more

F4

98.8

24.7

15.2

18.2

more

G4

88

22

37.4

40.4

medium

16

Strings:Ukulele

Thetypesofmaterialsusedtobuildaukulele/guitaraffectthesounditproduces.
Webeganbydesigningaguitarbasedonthewavelengthofthenotes.Thelengthof
thestringshouldbeoverofthewavelengthofthedesirednote,thentightenedas
needed.Onourfirsttry,wedidntpaymuchattentiontothequalityofwood.Wehada
minimalamountofwoodthatwasclosetotherightsize,sowechoseainthickpiece
andstartedbuilding.Wehadthebodyandneckbuiltandweretestingoutthestrings
whenwerealizedsomethingwaswrong.Becausethewoodwassoftandthick,it
mutedthesound.Sincewewereusingfishinglineandthickerwood,thehigh
frequencyofthefishinglinewasntenoughtomakethewoodvibrate.Sincethewood
didntvibrate,onlythesmallportionofairaroundthestringswasdisturbed,causinga
weakpluckingsound.Wenoticedourmistakeandstartedonanew,smallerukulele
usinginchfinishedplywood.Wealsogotthickerstringsthatwouldcreateabetter
vibration.Bothofthesechangesmadeahugedifference,andtheukuleleplayedwith
muchmorevolumeandresonance.Thesecondukulelebodywassuccessfulin
creatingtherightnotesatabettervolume.Weusedhalfofthewavelengthofour
desirednotebecausethewavegoesupanddownspanningtwicethedistance(see
picturebelow).Becausethethin,hardwoodvibrateswiththethickstrings,the
surroundingairisdisturbedtomakeloudernotes.Wefoundthatthickerstringsvibrate
slowerandthereforehavelowerpitch.
Stringtension,thickness,andlengthallaffectthenoteproduced.Eachofthe
stringsare45cmwithvaryingthicknesses.AandGhavethesamediameter,Eis
thicker,andCisthethickest.TheAandGstringsplaydifferentnotesdespitetheir
size,becausetheyarepulledtodifferenttensionswiththetuningknobs.TheAstring
hasahigherpitch,becausethehightensionreducesthelengthofthebackandforth
movement.Whenthereislesstension,thestringhasmoreslackandspansagreater
distancewitheachvibration.TheCstringplaysalowernotethantheEstringwithouta
majordifferenceintensionduetothethickness.Thismaybebecausethickstringsare
heavier,causingthemtovibratemoreslowly.Thelastpitchvariableislength.Onthis
ukulele,eachofthestringswillplayanoctavehigheronthe12thfret.Thefretsare
basedontheequationy=scalelength(0.5^((1/12)x)),with45asthescalelength(see
diagrambelow).Thefretsclosertothebridgeproducehighernotesduetothe
shortenedstringlength,whichaltersthewavelength.

DESCRIBElengthofstringvsnote,thicknessofstringvsnote,
Tensionvs.note