BuildaBand

StringInstrument
Forourstringinstrument,wedecidedonmakingabasestyleof
instrument.Beforeconstructing,wehadtoknowthewavelengthsofthenoteswe
wantedtocreate.Wedidsomeresearchanddiscoveredawebsitethathadallthe
namesofnotesandtheirfrequenciesandwavelengths.Tofindthelengthofthe
stringswehadtouse,wetookeachnoteswavelengthanddivideditinhalf.This
meantwewouldgetthesamenotewhileusingareasonablescale.Thesoundis
createdbypluckingthestring,whichthenvibratesandcreatesthesoundyou
hear.Differentpitchescanbemadebychangingthetensionofthestrings.For
example,looserstringscreatelowernotesandtighterstringscreatehighernotes.
Wemadeourstringinstrumentusingapieceofwood,screws,fishingline,
andalargetincan.Westartedtoscrewingthecanontothepieceofwoodclose
totheendofit.Wethenscrewedsevenscrewsintothewoodattheveryend,
behindthecan.Next,wescrewedsevenmorescrewsontheothersideofthecan
inlinewiththeoriginallineofscrews.Wemadesuretomeasureandputthem
exactlyinthecorrectplaceaccordingtoourcalculationsofthewavelengths.We
measuredthestringsstartingfromthemiddleofthecan,sowehadconsistent
measurements.Afterhavingallofourscrewsintherightplace,wetiedfishing
linetoeachofthescrewsthatlinedup.Totightenthemandgetthemtotheright
pitch,weusedadrilltotightenthestringaroundthescrews.Weusedtuningapps
onourphonestogettherightnotes.Belowisatableourdata:

Note

Frequency
(Hz)

Wavelength
(cm)

Wavelength
(cm)

A
4

440.00

78.41

39.205

B
4

493.88

69.85

34.925

C
5

523.25

64.93

32.315

E
4

329.63

104.66

52.33

F
4

349.23

98.79

49.395

D
4

293.66

117.48

58.74

G
4

392.00

88.01

44.005

PercussionInstrument
Wecreatedavariationofasteeldrumusingalargetomatotincananda
sledgehammer.Withthesledgehammer,wedentedthetopofthecanand
createddifferentnotes.Oncewefoundaspotonthecanthatconsistentlyhitthe
samenote,wecouldcreatetheothernotes.
Whenthedrumisstruckwiththemallet,vibrationsaresentthroughthe
metalinthedrum.Thesoundresonatesinsideofthecan.Fromthere,thesoundis
carriedthroughairandourearspickupthesounds.Adifferentsoundiscreated
whenyouhitspecificpartsofthedrumssurface.Whenhit,theseplacesonthe
drumcreatefrequencies.Thesefrequenciescanbeheardasnotesonthemusical
scale.
ThenotesweareusingareA,B,C,D,E,F,andG.Alowernoteis
producedwithdeepergroovesinthedrum.Ahighernoteisproducedwitha
shallowergrooveinthedrum.Thesoundisloweronadeeperindentation
becausethebasethatthesoundtravelsthroughiswiderwhichcreatesalonger
wavelength.Thiswavesoundslowerbecauseofthelongerwavelengths.
Theshallowindentationscreateahigherpitchedsoundbecausethebaseis
smallersothewavelengthsaresmaller.Belowisatableofourdata:

Notes

Distancefromrim(cm)

2.25

2.2

9.25

1.6

4.8

2.4

Chimes
Forourchimeinstrument,wedecidedtouseglassbottlesfilledwith
differentlevelsofwatertocreatedifferentnotes.Tocreatetherightpitchnotes,
weexperimentedwithdifferentamountsofwaterandtunedthemusingtuning
appsonourphones.AssoonaswefoundtheA,whichisthefirstnote,itwas
easytofindtheothernotes.Youjusthadtodecreasetheamountsofwaterby
aroundhalf.Togetlowernotes,youhavetofillupthebottlemore.Thiscauses
thevibrationstobesloweddownbythewater.Asthenotesgethigher,the
amountofwaterdecreases.Thiscausesthevibrationstospeedup,sincethereis
lesswater.Forthelastnote,whichistheG,thebottlewasslightlytoolargetobe
abletocreateanotehighenough,evenwiththebottlecompletelyempty.Wealso
triedtomakeaGusingtheloweroctave,butthebottlewasalittletoosmall.So,
althoughthelastnoteisnotquiteaG,itisascloseaswecouldgetbasedonthe
naturalfrequencyofthebottle.Wechosetouseglassbottlesbecausetheyhave
tomostresonance,whichcausesthesoundtocarrymore.Wewere
experimentingwithdifferenttoolstohitthebottleswith,andwediscoveredthat
denserobjects,likemetalandpipes,makeloudersoundsthanlessdense
materials,suchasapencilorruler.Wedecidedtouseametalpipe,which
resonatedtheloudestnotes.Youcanseeatableofourdatabelow:

Note

Wavelength
(cm)

Frequency
(Hz)

Amountof
Water

Sizeof
Bottle

A
4

78.41

440.00

15cm

19cm

B
4

69.85

493.88

11cm

19cm

C
4

131.87

261.63

9cm

19cm

D
4

117.48

293.66

6.5cm

19cm

E
4

104.66

329.63

5.5cm

19cm

F
4

98.79

349.23

4.5cm

19cm

G
4

88.01

392.00

empty

19cm

WindInstrument
Ourgroupmadeanadaptionoftheclarinet.Weusedthemouthpieceofan
actualclarinetandPVCpipe.Whenblownintothemouthpiece,avibrationis
createdfromthereedmovingupanddown.Thevibrationthentravelsthrough
thetubecreatinganote.Inourcase,differentnotesarecreatedwiththevarious
placementoftheholesandbycoveringanduncoveringthem.
ThenoteswecreatedareA,B,C,D,E,F,andG.Normallyanoteis
producedbyatubethatisonequarterofthelengthofthewavelengthneeded.
Thetubehastobeonequarteroftheactualwavelengthbecauseairpressureis
greatestatthemouthsideofthetubeandreducestoneutralatmosphericpressure
attheopensideofthetube.Thisisaquarterofthefull
Oncewefoundthemeasurementsofthehole,wedrilledthemintothe
PVCpipeandbegantotunethem.Westartedofwithasmallholetogiveusthe
chanceoftuningthenotesifitwasnecessary.Wetonedthenotesbymakingthe
holesbigger.Theshorterthewavelength,whichhasahighfrequency,thehigher
thenote.Whereasthelongerthewavelength,whichhasalowerfrequency,the
lowerthenoteis.
Note

Frequency
(Hz)

Wavelength
(cm)

Wavelength
(cm)

Distance
From
Mouthpiece
toHole
(cm)

A
5

880.00

39.20

9.8

28.8

B
5

987.77

34.93

8.7325

25.5

C
5

523.25

65.93

16.4825

48(open)

D
5

587.33

58.74

14.685

43

E
5

659.25

52.33

13.0825

38.7

F
5

698.46

49.39

12.3475

35.4

G
5

783.99

44.01

11.0025

32.5