MusicalBand

WindInstrument:Awindinstrumentisadevicethatplaysa/orvariousnotesbyusingthe
vibrationofairagainstsomekindoftube.Webuiltapanflute.Apanfluteincorporates
differentlength/diameterpipestoplayindividualnotes.Somearemadefromwood,bamboo,
metal,orplastic.Weusedmetal.SpecificallyEMT.ThereasonwechoseEMTforour
material,isbecauseitresonateswell.Forthenotes,wedecidedonathecommonscale
ABCDEFG.Tocreatethesespecificnotes,wefounddataonthewavelengthsrequiredto
makethesenotes.Awavelengthisthedistancefromthetopofonecresttothetopofthe
next,inasoundwave.Fortransversewaves,insound,itsfromonecompressiontothenext.
WeusedwavelengthsbasedonamiddleC,orsub4.AllmiddleCreallymeansisthelength
oftheinstrumentitself.Sub4couldbeconsideredastandard/mediumsizeinstrument.Back
tothenotesnow.TofindthelengthsofthepipestomakeABCDEFGonedividesthe
wavelengthsbyfour.Thereasonwedividebyfourisbecausethewavemustgothrougha
cycleoffourparts.Thefourpartsconsistofcompressionandrarefaction.Sothecyclewillbe
completedoncethecompressionphaseofpressureisreachedagain.Thepatternfollows
compressiontoneutral,neutraltorarefaction,rarefactiontoneutral,andneutralto
compression.Tofinishoffourpanflute,wegluedthemusinghighgradehotglue.egluedthe
EMTmetalpipestoapieceofhardwood.Welastlyaddedthefinestofgreenbamboo
shavingsfromSashaUrbansbackyard.Itlooksquitemajestic.

Note:

Wavelength:

Pipelengths
(QuarterofWavelength)

131.87cm

32.9675cm

117.48cm

29.37cm

104.66cm

26.165cm

98.79cm

24.6

975cm

88.01cm

22.0025cm

78.41cm

19.6025cm

69.85cm

17.4625cm

Chimes:Chimesmakenoisebasedoffofthematerialsnaturalfrequency.Whenyouhitthe
chime,itvibratesatacertainspeed.Thisvibrationcreatesareasofcompression(close
together)andrarefaction(farapart)intheair.Thiscompressionandrarefactioniswhata
soundwaveismadeof,sowhenwehitthechime,allofthathappens,andwehearanoise.
Everymaterialhasitsownnaturalfrequency.Ourchimesaremadeoutofatypeofmetal
pipecalledElectricalMetallicTubing,orEMTforshort.Thenotethatthechimemakes
dependsonhowlongthepipeis.Westartedwithateninchpipe,thispipeplayedanE.We
thenusedacharttofindthelengthsofthenextpipes.Weenteredinourlongestlengthand
wemultiplyitbyacertainnumberandthatgivesusthenextlength.Wecontinuedthisuntil
werepeatedouroriginalnote,butinadifferentoctave.Oncewecutallofthesepipesto
lengthwedrilledholesallthewaythroughthepipe.Wethenputastringthroughtheholes
andtiedtheminaloopoverourbase.Ourbaseforthechimesconsistsoffourpiecesof
woodintheshapeofarectangle.Therectangleisplacedstandingupwardswiththepipes
hangingfromthetopbar.Thisdesignworksquitewellforusandprovidesastableareaforus
toplaythechimes.Italsohastheleastamountofmaterialincontactwiththepipes.Wetried
someothermethodsofholdingupthepipes,buttheyallweretouchingthepipetoomuch.
Whensomethingtouchesthepipeitcanimpedeonitsabilitytovibratewhichinturnaffects
thesoundthatitmakes.

Note:

Ratio:

LengthofChime:

1.0000

10"

.9789

9.7"

.9428

9.4"

.9129

9.1"

.8944

8.9"

.8660

8.6"

.8433

8.4"

.8165

8.1"

StringInstruments:Stringinstrumentsareinstrumentsthatareplayedbytheplucking,or
rubbingagainststrings.Thevibrationsfrompluckingorrubbingtransferfromthestring,and
intotheairassoundwaves.Tomakeastringinstrumentresonate,itiscommontohavea
hollowedoutareaundertheareayouplayatforthesoundwavestovibratebackandforth
insideof.

Forourstringinstrumentwechosetocreateaguitar.Ourguitarwasequippedwithalarge
cubicbasetoallowsoundtoresonate.Weincludedalargeholebelowthestringstoallow
soundtoenter.Forstring,weusedfishingline.Wetiedoneendattheverybackoftheguitar,
aroundascrew,andtheotherattheoppositeendonanotherscrew.Wethentensionedthe
stringstoproducethenotesABCDEFG.Increasingthetensionmakesthestringvibratefaster
andrequiringmoreforcetomove.Thisincreasesthefrequencyandchangesthenote.Atthe
endofourneckweincludedinchmetalpipeunderthestringformoretension,andalittle
moreresonance.Tomaketheguitareasiertoplay,wemadeeachfretelevatedbylayer
popsiclesticksontopofeachother.Weranintotheproblemofhavingourstringshittingthe
fretinfrontofitwhenplayingdifferentnotes.Tosolvethiswemadeeachfretasitgoesdown
theneckonepopsiclestickhighersothatthestringswouldvibrateabovethefrets.

Notes:

Wavelengths:

FretLocations
(HalfofWavelength)

131.87cm

65.935cm

117.48cm

58.74cm

104.66cm

52.33cm

98.79cm

49.395cm

88.01cm

44.005cm

78.41cm

39.205cm

69.85cm

34.925cm

Terms:

Wavelengththedistancefromthemidpointtothecrestorofthewave
Amplitudethedistancefromthetopofonecresttothetopofthenext
Frequencyhowoftenavibrationoccurs
Periodthetimeofabackandforthswing
Velocityspeedwithadirectionofmotion

Note:

Frequency(Hz)

Wavelength(cm)

261.63Hz

131.87cm

293.66Hz

117.48cm

329.63Hz

104.66cm

349.23Hz

98.79cm

392Hz

88.01cm

440Hz

78.41cm

493.88Hz

69.85cm