Build a Musical Band:
The Mission:
After our massive energy efficient home project, we were given a new task; build musical instruments. Three types of instruments were required: a wind instrument, a percussion instrument, and a string instrument. Looking at these models, we had to thoroughly explain how each one operated in relation to physics. After our research, we were to play our instruments to a song. It could be any song, including an original song regarding the STEM program and the material we have learned. Finally, our class was to end the year with the grand opening of our energy efficient home and a concert with our instruments. Once again, we had our hands full.
The Mission:
After our massive energy efficient home project, we were given a new task; build musical instruments. Three types of instruments were required: a wind instrument, a percussion instrument, and a string instrument. Looking at these models, we had to thoroughly explain how each one operated in relation to physics. After our research, we were to play our instruments to a song. It could be any song, including an original song regarding the STEM program and the material we have learned. Finally, our class was to end the year with the grand opening of our energy efficient home and a concert with our instruments. Once again, we had our hands full.
The Instruments:
Here are all our products from the project. We have a wind instrument, a string instrument, and a percussion instrument.
Here are all our products from the project. We have a wind instrument, a string instrument, and a percussion instrument.
The Wind Instrument: The Flute
Materials:
- a copper sprinkler pipe
- end of a PVC pipe
Our wind instrument is what many people refer to as the flute. The first flute was made 43,000 years ago in Slovenia. Over time, the flute was evolved in looks and sound. For example, many flutes in the medieval times were made of wood. Some dating back to 35,000 years ago had a V-shape. Today, the nickel silver, sixteen hole flutes are still considered one of the most elegant instruments. The only question is if we can recreate this beautiful piece of art.
Because copper is such a pliable metal, we knew we would easily be able to drill holes into them. The holes' positions were calculated based on wavelengths and frequencies of different notes. In the instrument description, you can see the scientific process. After drilling the holes in, we sanded the mouthpiece so our lips would not be cut when we played the flute. This was our best instrument because our preciseness gave us extraordinary tone quality.
Materials:
- a copper sprinkler pipe
- end of a PVC pipe
Our wind instrument is what many people refer to as the flute. The first flute was made 43,000 years ago in Slovenia. Over time, the flute was evolved in looks and sound. For example, many flutes in the medieval times were made of wood. Some dating back to 35,000 years ago had a V-shape. Today, the nickel silver, sixteen hole flutes are still considered one of the most elegant instruments. The only question is if we can recreate this beautiful piece of art.
Because copper is such a pliable metal, we knew we would easily be able to drill holes into them. The holes' positions were calculated based on wavelengths and frequencies of different notes. In the instrument description, you can see the scientific process. After drilling the holes in, we sanded the mouthpiece so our lips would not be cut when we played the flute. This was our best instrument because our preciseness gave us extraordinary tone quality.
The String Instrument: The String Bowl
Materials:
- wooden board with circular holes - violin E string
- metal mixing bowl - wooden triangular prism
String instruments are the epitome of classical music, as they have been for years. String instruments were founded in Northern Italy in the sixteenth century. When Byzantine instruments were brought from Asia on the Silk route, the violin shape was formed. String instruments are like people: the older, the more valuable. In my opinion, it is analogous to how people gain wisdom with age. Some of the finest woods like Ebony, Maple, Spruce, Boxwood, Willow, and Rosewood construct violins, violas, cellos, and the upright basses.
Our string instrument is a little more "unique" than these classics. We spotted some scrap wood with holes in it. The circular shape reverberates the sound, creating exceptional acoustics. Our group placed the wood over a circular bowl to serve the same purpose. The key word of our String Bowl is circle. Next we added the E string from a violin onto the board. The wooden triangular prism served as the bridge to tighten the string which created a higher frequency that could be heard. After calculations were measured based off our research, we were able to create different notes by elongating and abbreviating the wavelength of the string. This was done by placing our fingers in the designated areas on the finger board. For more information on the calculating process, see our Instrument Description.
Materials:
- wooden board with circular holes - violin E string
- metal mixing bowl - wooden triangular prism
String instruments are the epitome of classical music, as they have been for years. String instruments were founded in Northern Italy in the sixteenth century. When Byzantine instruments were brought from Asia on the Silk route, the violin shape was formed. String instruments are like people: the older, the more valuable. In my opinion, it is analogous to how people gain wisdom with age. Some of the finest woods like Ebony, Maple, Spruce, Boxwood, Willow, and Rosewood construct violins, violas, cellos, and the upright basses.
Our string instrument is a little more "unique" than these classics. We spotted some scrap wood with holes in it. The circular shape reverberates the sound, creating exceptional acoustics. Our group placed the wood over a circular bowl to serve the same purpose. The key word of our String Bowl is circle. Next we added the E string from a violin onto the board. The wooden triangular prism served as the bridge to tighten the string which created a higher frequency that could be heard. After calculations were measured based off our research, we were able to create different notes by elongating and abbreviating the wavelength of the string. This was done by placing our fingers in the designated areas on the finger board. For more information on the calculating process, see our Instrument Description.
The Percussion Instrument: The Water Glasses
Materials:
- 4 wine glasses - water - metal screwdriver
- 3 vases - turkey baster
Many students have tested the phenomenon of water glasses. Some people vibrate their fingers around the glass to create different sounds with different water levels. Others form different notes by blowing into glasses with different quantities of water. We went the percussion route. Percussion is a Neanderthal concept of music. People have been composing rhythms with various objects for thousands and thousands of years. Excavation in the ancient civilization of Mesopotamia have revealed cylindrical drums from 6000 BC. Sketches on cave walls in Peru illustrate their use of drums back to 3000 BC. Drum sets were invented in New Orleans, with help from China's invention of Cymbals and Tom Toms. The beat will always stay alive when a percussion instrument is present.
Our "unique" instrument encompasses the science behind the water glasses. The least amount of water produced the sound with the highest frequency. This is because the sound has less of a medium as an obstacle and therefore can move freely and faster. The more vibrations, the higher the note or frequency. We donated a prodigious amount of our time on these water glasses to perfect the tone and pitch. We found that different materials resonated better than others. For example, a thin wine glass echoed cleaner and longer than the thick glass of a jar. After many tests, we found the materials that would fit best for our purposes. In the Instrument Description, you will see more of our calculations and observations.
Materials:
- 4 wine glasses - water - metal screwdriver
- 3 vases - turkey baster
Many students have tested the phenomenon of water glasses. Some people vibrate their fingers around the glass to create different sounds with different water levels. Others form different notes by blowing into glasses with different quantities of water. We went the percussion route. Percussion is a Neanderthal concept of music. People have been composing rhythms with various objects for thousands and thousands of years. Excavation in the ancient civilization of Mesopotamia have revealed cylindrical drums from 6000 BC. Sketches on cave walls in Peru illustrate their use of drums back to 3000 BC. Drum sets were invented in New Orleans, with help from China's invention of Cymbals and Tom Toms. The beat will always stay alive when a percussion instrument is present.
Our "unique" instrument encompasses the science behind the water glasses. The least amount of water produced the sound with the highest frequency. This is because the sound has less of a medium as an obstacle and therefore can move freely and faster. The more vibrations, the higher the note or frequency. We donated a prodigious amount of our time on these water glasses to perfect the tone and pitch. We found that different materials resonated better than others. For example, a thin wine glass echoed cleaner and longer than the thick glass of a jar. After many tests, we found the materials that would fit best for our purposes. In the Instrument Description, you will see more of our calculations and observations.
Key Concepts of Waves:
Wave - a disturbance that travels through matter or space that transfers energy.
Wave Speed - Wave Length x Frequency
Wavelength - distance between crest to crest, or trough to trough in a sound wave
Amplitude - maximum extent of vibration in a sound wave (calculated starting from equilibrium)
Crest - point on wave where displacement is maximum.
Trough - point on wave where displacement is minimum.
Frequency - number cycles, vibrations, oscillations, or repeated event per time; measured in Hertz
Resonance - phenomenon that occurs when frequency of forced vibrations on an object matches the object's natural frequency and a dramatic increase in amplitude ensues.
Compression - a pulse of compressed air; opposite of rarefaction
Rarefaction - disturbance in air where pressure is lowered; opposite of compression
Sound Waves - a longitudinal pressure wave of audible or inaudible sound
Period - time for particle on medium to make one complete vibrational cycle (wavelength).
Transverse Waves - wave with vibration at right angles to the direction the wave is traveling (like ocean waves)
Longitudinal Waves - wave in which vibration is in same direction as which the wave is traveling (sound waves; like accordion)
Pitch - term that refers to how high or low sound frequencies appear to be.
Medium - matter waves travel through.
Interference - (Constructive and Non constructive)
Anti Node - the position of standing wave where the largest amplitudes occur.
Node - any part of a standing wave that's stationary.
Intensity - power transferred per unit area (watts per meter squared)
Blue Shift - increase in measured frequency of light from an approaching source; called "blue shift" because increase is toward high-frequency, or blue, end of the electromagnetic spectrum
Red Shift - decrease in measured frequency of light from a receding source; called "red shift" because decrease is toward low-frequency, or red, end of electromagnetic spectrum
Doppler Effect - change in frequency of a wave due to motion of source (ambulance siren lowers as drives away).
Echo - sound that has been reflective (easy to reflect sound in our string bowl).
Reverberation - natural echo of object.
Wave - a disturbance that travels through matter or space that transfers energy.
Wave Speed - Wave Length x Frequency
Wavelength - distance between crest to crest, or trough to trough in a sound wave
Amplitude - maximum extent of vibration in a sound wave (calculated starting from equilibrium)
Crest - point on wave where displacement is maximum.
Trough - point on wave where displacement is minimum.
Frequency - number cycles, vibrations, oscillations, or repeated event per time; measured in Hertz
Resonance - phenomenon that occurs when frequency of forced vibrations on an object matches the object's natural frequency and a dramatic increase in amplitude ensues.
Compression - a pulse of compressed air; opposite of rarefaction
Rarefaction - disturbance in air where pressure is lowered; opposite of compression
Sound Waves - a longitudinal pressure wave of audible or inaudible sound
Period - time for particle on medium to make one complete vibrational cycle (wavelength).
Transverse Waves - wave with vibration at right angles to the direction the wave is traveling (like ocean waves)
Longitudinal Waves - wave in which vibration is in same direction as which the wave is traveling (sound waves; like accordion)
Pitch - term that refers to how high or low sound frequencies appear to be.
Medium - matter waves travel through.
Interference - (Constructive and Non constructive)
Anti Node - the position of standing wave where the largest amplitudes occur.
Node - any part of a standing wave that's stationary.
Intensity - power transferred per unit area (watts per meter squared)
Blue Shift - increase in measured frequency of light from an approaching source; called "blue shift" because increase is toward high-frequency, or blue, end of the electromagnetic spectrum
Red Shift - decrease in measured frequency of light from a receding source; called "red shift" because decrease is toward low-frequency, or red, end of electromagnetic spectrum
Doppler Effect - change in frequency of a wave due to motion of source (ambulance siren lowers as drives away).
Echo - sound that has been reflective (easy to reflect sound in our string bowl).
Reverberation - natural echo of object.
Reflection:
From the beginning, I was ecstatic about our group. Ananya Somasekar, Cate Guempel, and I have been attending the same school since kindergarten. We all knew each other very well and were comfortable working with each other. But with that territory comes some peaks and pits.
Beginning with the peaks in our project, we were very efficient with our time. All of us are set on a disciplined, organized mentality, which truly helped the planning of our long term endeavors. For example, our group had a list of needed materials, detailed blueprints, and resources to learn how each instrument works. In terms of being prepared, we were out of this word spectacular. Our time was certainly wisely spent on research. Another peak is our cold hard honesty. We've grown up with each other for almost ten years. We are whole heartedly not afraid to veto someone's idea. The best part is that we can open the air for more brainstorming instead of wasting time trying to slyly persuade another group member that there idea isn't amazing, to say lightly. Also, no one in our group would ever take offense to someone denying their plan. We all know it is out of the goodness of their hearts. For example, I thought that jars would be a great material to hit in regards to resonance. I did have a method to my madness: the thicker the object, the more material for the sound to vibrate off. Cate and Ananya were unsure about this idea, so we tried on one jar. Obviously, it failed miserably. The thinner the object, the more it vibrates because it is a light object. Instead of investing a large amount of time on the jar instrument, we were able to move on all because of honesty. The truth hurts but it rewards you with a better finishing product.
Next, let's look at the pits. All three of us play musical instruments. Cate plays the violin, Ananya plays the alto saxophone, and I play the trumpet. At first glance, we appear to have experience in this field. To clarify, making noise out of a musical instrument is marginally easier than building one. In the peaks part of the project, I did expound upon our readiness and careful planning. Turns out, we threw it all away. When entering a criteria unknown to you, many experiments must be executed. It is fact that sixty-five percent of the human population are visual learners. How else to learn how to build something unless you've seen the process with your own eyes? This concept took a long time to soak into our brains. All our lives we've prepared and acted. Instead of dwelling on the fact that our diagrams are not feasible and incredibly futile, we had to fight through a long process of our best friend: guess and check. We molded mini models and tested which materials resonated more than the others. After we grasped some knowledge of the project, we used our results to construct superb instruments. For example, we originally thought that the flute's holes could go anywhere, and that the adjustment of our embouchure would decipher the notes. After our research, we found that the position of the holes determine the wavelength, which determines the frequency of the note. After many tests, we were able to strategically calculate where to drill the holes into the flute. Another pit was our focus. Like I said earlier, we have been friends since kindergarten. It is tacit that some unnecessary chatter was endured. Clearly, some inordinate talking can be a poor use of time. This time could have been vital leading up to the presentation. One example was the water glasses. Oh, those water glasses. We spent a little over a week perfecting those. We sat outside in the sun trying to find the right water level to give the most outstanding sound. Life passed by and we enjoyed each other's company, meaning we gabbed. Because of our early dilly-dallying, we were to spend one day on our string instrument. In the future, I'd be more cautious about time wasted on a project when collaborating with friends.
All in all, our instruments were pulled off exceptionally well. Needless to say, there were many bumps in the road. For the water glasses, we spent over a week on them, and they weren't even our best instrument. We used a turkey baster to abate and augment to the level of water. Striving for perfection, we were far from it. Our tuner app was cooperating and the different size wine glasses and vases manipulated the sound and resonance. In the future, I would have chosen a different percussion instrument if it wasn't working from the start.
With the piccolo, we fixed our past mistakes. We pondered for a large amount of time where to drill the holes into the sprinkler pipe. Our calculations proved that the result should be successful, but our confidence was shot. Immediately, we decided as a group to act. We drilled the holes in. Turns out, the holes were in the appropriate positions. Our piccolo was our best instrument because we responded with an immediate solution. Our string instrument was a close second because we were quick to react and build. With efficiency can also come the greatest ideas.
As a group member, I learned a couple of lessons about working with a team on musical instruments. To begin with, my experience with music was tremendously helpful in this project. With knowledge of key signatures, scales, pitch, embouchure, and other musical skills, I was able to improve the instruments. As a student who plays volleyball and basketball, volunteers at the local preschool, runs, and plays the trumpet, I realized how useful all my activities will be. Even with experience in participating on a team, I am able to collaborate smoothly with a group. After years of playing sports, I have a competitive mentality to work hard in school. A well rounded person can accomplish many things. The second lesson I learned was decisiveness. Like I said earlier, the more abrupt we chose something, the more successful it turned out. That doesn't mean you don't act carefully, but with more confidence in your decision. Believing in your choice can make an impact in a project.
From the beginning, I was ecstatic about our group. Ananya Somasekar, Cate Guempel, and I have been attending the same school since kindergarten. We all knew each other very well and were comfortable working with each other. But with that territory comes some peaks and pits.
Beginning with the peaks in our project, we were very efficient with our time. All of us are set on a disciplined, organized mentality, which truly helped the planning of our long term endeavors. For example, our group had a list of needed materials, detailed blueprints, and resources to learn how each instrument works. In terms of being prepared, we were out of this word spectacular. Our time was certainly wisely spent on research. Another peak is our cold hard honesty. We've grown up with each other for almost ten years. We are whole heartedly not afraid to veto someone's idea. The best part is that we can open the air for more brainstorming instead of wasting time trying to slyly persuade another group member that there idea isn't amazing, to say lightly. Also, no one in our group would ever take offense to someone denying their plan. We all know it is out of the goodness of their hearts. For example, I thought that jars would be a great material to hit in regards to resonance. I did have a method to my madness: the thicker the object, the more material for the sound to vibrate off. Cate and Ananya were unsure about this idea, so we tried on one jar. Obviously, it failed miserably. The thinner the object, the more it vibrates because it is a light object. Instead of investing a large amount of time on the jar instrument, we were able to move on all because of honesty. The truth hurts but it rewards you with a better finishing product.
Next, let's look at the pits. All three of us play musical instruments. Cate plays the violin, Ananya plays the alto saxophone, and I play the trumpet. At first glance, we appear to have experience in this field. To clarify, making noise out of a musical instrument is marginally easier than building one. In the peaks part of the project, I did expound upon our readiness and careful planning. Turns out, we threw it all away. When entering a criteria unknown to you, many experiments must be executed. It is fact that sixty-five percent of the human population are visual learners. How else to learn how to build something unless you've seen the process with your own eyes? This concept took a long time to soak into our brains. All our lives we've prepared and acted. Instead of dwelling on the fact that our diagrams are not feasible and incredibly futile, we had to fight through a long process of our best friend: guess and check. We molded mini models and tested which materials resonated more than the others. After we grasped some knowledge of the project, we used our results to construct superb instruments. For example, we originally thought that the flute's holes could go anywhere, and that the adjustment of our embouchure would decipher the notes. After our research, we found that the position of the holes determine the wavelength, which determines the frequency of the note. After many tests, we were able to strategically calculate where to drill the holes into the flute. Another pit was our focus. Like I said earlier, we have been friends since kindergarten. It is tacit that some unnecessary chatter was endured. Clearly, some inordinate talking can be a poor use of time. This time could have been vital leading up to the presentation. One example was the water glasses. Oh, those water glasses. We spent a little over a week perfecting those. We sat outside in the sun trying to find the right water level to give the most outstanding sound. Life passed by and we enjoyed each other's company, meaning we gabbed. Because of our early dilly-dallying, we were to spend one day on our string instrument. In the future, I'd be more cautious about time wasted on a project when collaborating with friends.
All in all, our instruments were pulled off exceptionally well. Needless to say, there were many bumps in the road. For the water glasses, we spent over a week on them, and they weren't even our best instrument. We used a turkey baster to abate and augment to the level of water. Striving for perfection, we were far from it. Our tuner app was cooperating and the different size wine glasses and vases manipulated the sound and resonance. In the future, I would have chosen a different percussion instrument if it wasn't working from the start.
With the piccolo, we fixed our past mistakes. We pondered for a large amount of time where to drill the holes into the sprinkler pipe. Our calculations proved that the result should be successful, but our confidence was shot. Immediately, we decided as a group to act. We drilled the holes in. Turns out, the holes were in the appropriate positions. Our piccolo was our best instrument because we responded with an immediate solution. Our string instrument was a close second because we were quick to react and build. With efficiency can also come the greatest ideas.
As a group member, I learned a couple of lessons about working with a team on musical instruments. To begin with, my experience with music was tremendously helpful in this project. With knowledge of key signatures, scales, pitch, embouchure, and other musical skills, I was able to improve the instruments. As a student who plays volleyball and basketball, volunteers at the local preschool, runs, and plays the trumpet, I realized how useful all my activities will be. Even with experience in participating on a team, I am able to collaborate smoothly with a group. After years of playing sports, I have a competitive mentality to work hard in school. A well rounded person can accomplish many things. The second lesson I learned was decisiveness. Like I said earlier, the more abrupt we chose something, the more successful it turned out. That doesn't mean you don't act carefully, but with more confidence in your decision. Believing in your choice can make an impact in a project.