Build A Musical BandProject Outline: The goal of this project was to build three musical instruments, all from a different musical family. It was required that each group made a wind instrument, string instrument, and a chime. The instruments must be useable and able to play the notes C,D,E,F,G,A,B. The final goal was to be able to present at least 30 seconds of a song to the class. As an extra credit opportunity, we had the chance to try and write a physics related song and play it on our instruments.
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Physics Behind The Instruments:
Pan Flute:
For my instrument, I created a pan flute. A Pan flute is a wind instrument consisting of a set of 7 pipes of different lengths. In order to play the pan flute, you blow into the top of one of the pipes, creating a vibrating column of air, creating a sound. The length of each pipe affects the length of each air column producing a different note for each pipe. The longer the pipe the deeper the note, and the shorter the pipe the higher the note.
Guitar:
I created a guitar- type instrument. I built a box and added an arm to one end and a block of wood to the other end, and I attached four strings, fixed at both ends. I placed seven wooden blocks on the arm, each measured so that they play all seven notes (a,b,c,d,e,f,and g.) . In order to play this instrument, you just press the string down to the block the corresponds with the note you want to play, and strum the string. On the typical guitar, thicker strings create a lower sound while thinner strings create a higher sound. On my guitar, all four strings are the same length, therefore, they all have the same wavelength. Along with being the same length, each string is the same thickness. Each note that you play causes a different type of vibration. My guitar produces a quiet sound, because it lacked a hole in the center of the guitar’s body in which the vibrations could echo through.
Water Glass Chimes:
Water glass chimes make a sound similar to that of a bell. The sound is created because the tapping on the side deforms the side of the glass where it is contacted. The vibration travels around the glass and deforms the air inside as it moves, producing a sound wave. The shape and thickness of the glass control the tone. The more water added to the glass, the lower the pitch. More water causes the the sound wave to move slower and produce a lower frequency.
For my instrument, I created a pan flute. A Pan flute is a wind instrument consisting of a set of 7 pipes of different lengths. In order to play the pan flute, you blow into the top of one of the pipes, creating a vibrating column of air, creating a sound. The length of each pipe affects the length of each air column producing a different note for each pipe. The longer the pipe the deeper the note, and the shorter the pipe the higher the note.
Guitar:
I created a guitar- type instrument. I built a box and added an arm to one end and a block of wood to the other end, and I attached four strings, fixed at both ends. I placed seven wooden blocks on the arm, each measured so that they play all seven notes (a,b,c,d,e,f,and g.) . In order to play this instrument, you just press the string down to the block the corresponds with the note you want to play, and strum the string. On the typical guitar, thicker strings create a lower sound while thinner strings create a higher sound. On my guitar, all four strings are the same length, therefore, they all have the same wavelength. Along with being the same length, each string is the same thickness. Each note that you play causes a different type of vibration. My guitar produces a quiet sound, because it lacked a hole in the center of the guitar’s body in which the vibrations could echo through.
Water Glass Chimes:
Water glass chimes make a sound similar to that of a bell. The sound is created because the tapping on the side deforms the side of the glass where it is contacted. The vibration travels around the glass and deforms the air inside as it moves, producing a sound wave. The shape and thickness of the glass control the tone. The more water added to the glass, the lower the pitch. More water causes the the sound wave to move slower and produce a lower frequency.
Our Instruments:
Physics Concepts:
Sound Waves: Created by the vibrations of material objections, compression and rarefaction
Compression: Pushes together
Rarefaction: Palling apart
Amplitude: Distance from the midpoint to the crest or trough
Wavelength: Distance from crest to crest
Frequency: How often a vibration occurs
Period: Amount of time between waves
Wave: Vibration through a medium
Wave Speed: Wave length multiplied by the frequency
Transverse Waves: Waves that move up and down
Longitudinal Waves: Waves that move compression horizontally
Interference: Adding two waves together.
Constructive Interference: Adds to create a bigger wave
Non Constructive Interference: Adds to make a smaller wave
Node: Area between a wave
Anti-Node: The maximums and minimums of a wave
Pitch: Due to varying frequency, creates different notes that we hear
Doppler Effect: The concept of a change in frequency due to the motion of a source
Resonance: The process of creating a standing wave when unnatural vibrations are equal to the natural wavelength and frequency
Compression: Pushes together
Rarefaction: Palling apart
Amplitude: Distance from the midpoint to the crest or trough
Wavelength: Distance from crest to crest
Frequency: How often a vibration occurs
Period: Amount of time between waves
Wave: Vibration through a medium
Wave Speed: Wave length multiplied by the frequency
Transverse Waves: Waves that move up and down
Longitudinal Waves: Waves that move compression horizontally
Interference: Adding two waves together.
Constructive Interference: Adds to create a bigger wave
Non Constructive Interference: Adds to make a smaller wave
Node: Area between a wave
Anti-Node: The maximums and minimums of a wave
Pitch: Due to varying frequency, creates different notes that we hear
Doppler Effect: The concept of a change in frequency due to the motion of a source
Resonance: The process of creating a standing wave when unnatural vibrations are equal to the natural wavelength and frequency
Reflection:
This project, even though time cramped, was a great learning experience. It was a great deal of fun and our groups results were a success. As a musician (drummer), I greatly enjoyed this project. Making the instruments was a great way to understand and learn how difficult it is to make a good quality instrument. My group managed to create 3 functional instruments all of which were able to play the required notes. Our group, which consisted of Nolan, Katie, and myself, did a good job planning and coordinating what instrument we would do and how we would build it. Unfortunately, we did not do such a good job with actually building the musical instruments. We left the building til later weeks and were still building on the last day. Along with this we found ourselves talking with other groups to be a large distraction. All in all this project was very fun and opened my eyes to how much work and effort goes into building high quality instruments.