When playing a musical instrument, shortening the length of the air tube will make the pitch higher, and expanding the length of the air tube will make the pitch lower. Drinking straws can be cut to different lengths to produce different pitches. They can form a type of “oboe” (a woodwind instrument, similar to a clarinet) that will vibrate and create a sound when it is blown into. A straw that is half the length of another straw will be exactly one octave higher than the longer straw. It is recommended to use paper straws, because plastic straws are harder to focus into one note.
Sound is a wave, which can change in pitch according to changing air pressure. It is produced by the vibrations of objects. Waves can be measured by speed (v), frequency (f), wavelength (λ), and period. The frequency of a wave describes how many cycles of a wave occur per unit time. A sound with a high frequency has more wavelengths in a set amount of time than a sound with a low frequency. High frequencies have smaller wavelengths, and low frequencies have larger wavelengths. The higher frequency, the higher the perceived pitch. The wavelength, frequency, and speed are all related by the equation: v = fλ. They can also be used in the equation: f = v/λ.
Wavelength is the difference between peaks or troughs in a sound wave. It is the measured difference between the highest parts or the lowest parts. When you combine tones that are an octave apart, the sound waves interfere. A trough will cancel out a peak of the same magnitude. There are two words that are used to define a good combination of tones and a bad combination of tones. “Consonant” is used to describe a pleasant-sounding interference pattern (combination of tones), and “dissonant” is used to ...
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...heir straw oboes together to form a type of pan-flute.
Straw oboes can teach us about wavelengths and the formation of sound through vibrations. We can also learn about mathematical equations that can allow us to cut our straws in a way that creates the do-re-mi scale. Tuning the straw oboes to the correct pitches can help us develop an ear for matching musical tones. It will also teach about the correct embouchure (position of the mouth) for playing a reed instrument.
Works Cited
(Olson, Andrew. Do-Re-Mi with Straws. N.p.: Science Buddies, 2013. N. pag. Science Buddies. Web. 13 Mar. 2014.)
(Arons, Eric. Making A Straw Woodwind. N.p.: Reach Out Michigan, n.d. N. pag. Reach Out Michigan. Web. 16 Mar. 2014.)
(Hodges, Richard. The Musical Scale and its Intervals. N.p.: RHodges, 2009. N. pag. Web. 18 Mar. 2014.)
London: MacMillian & Co. Smith, N. & Stoutamire, A. (1989) Band Music Notes.
The clarinet is a woodwind instrament consisting of a cylindrical wood, metal, or ebonite pipe with a bell-shaped opening at one end and a mouthpiece at the other end, to which a thin reed is attached. The clarinet has five different sections, the mouthpiece, the barrel, the upper section, the lower section, and the bell. The length of the entire instrument is 60 cm long. The mouthpiece section consists of a slotted cylinder, to which a reed is attached by a metal clamp called a ligature. The mouthpiece plugs into the next section which is a barrel. The barrel is simply a connecting cylinder to which the mouthpiece and the upper section plugs into. The upper section is a cylindrical pipe consisting of 4 holes and 9 keys placed in different locations along the pipe. On the back of the pipe there is a hole and a key that is used by the thumb. The lower section plugs into the upper section and is also connected via a special bridge key. This piece consists of 3 holes and 8 keys. On the inward facing side of the pipe, there is a protruding piece of metal called a thumb rest, which supports the entire clarinet. The bell plugs into the lower section. It consists of a cylinder that flares out into a bell shape and ends the clarinet.
It was proposed that if the length of the PVC pipes were to increase, then the sound produced will have a lower amplitude each time because the sound will lose energy as it continues in the pipe for a certain amount of time. However, the data actually showed that with every increase in pipe length, the amplitude got louder as well, thus refuting the hypothesis. These results made sense because what was created inside the PVC pipes was a standing still sound wave, or a resonance wave. These kinds of waves have certain locations on its wavelength in order for the change in sound to be heard, which it usually half a wavelength. With this, the tuning fork is 83.3Hz and a usual wavelength is about 300Hz, 300/83.3 = 3.6 meters, which is about 4 meters (half = 2 meters). So for the change in sound to be heard, the pipes had to be about 2 meters in change according to the frequency of the tuning
...he scales in this composition. As for timbre, at the lower register, the song took on a dark, rich, tone, and at the high points it had more of a tinkling melody. The “upbeat” parts made me think of a happy couple strolling through the fair on a summer afternoon.
1. The mouthpiece and reed are surrounded by the player’s lips, which put light, even pressure on the reed and form an air tight seal.
The Western concert flute was developed over the centuries from a simple end-blown flute to the current transverse flute. Transverse flutes are flutes that are held parallel to the floor. To play a transverse, the flutist directs the airstream across the mouth or blow hole and not directly into the instrument. The flute constitutes one of the most important instruments of the orchestra because of its high range, ability to blend in with other instruments and play the melody.
The Native American flute is the third oldest known musical instrument in the world, with bone flutes dating back over 60,000 years. The first instrument found were drums, then varies whistle were made. Over time, the instrument evolved with many different materials and shapes. And these difference and changes reflect the culture of that time. Virtually, flutes were used all types of hardwoods and softwoods in history. They had many different configurations, 2, 3, 4,5,6,7 or 8 holes. The flute we used in class is 6 holes, and we also saw many different flutes in class, someone smaller, someone larger, someone with 3 holes, etc. The oldest flutes we have were made from wing bones of a Griffon Vulture [1] and a Whooper Swan [2], as well as one from mammoth tusk ivory [3].
Willoughby, David. "Chapter 11." The World of Music. 7th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2012. 249-53. Print.
The most common model of the ancestral hearing aid is that of the simple ear trumpet. This was a small, pipe-looking device which was carved from either bull’s horn or seashell, and was held up to the ear in order to amplify sound. The audible result of such would have been much like cupping your hand around your ear.
Ultrasound is sound waves that have a frequency above human audible. (Ultrasound Physics and Instrument 111). With a shorter wavelength than audible sound, these waves can be directed into a narrow beam that is used in imaging soft tissues. As with audible sound waves, ultrasound waves must have a medium in which to travel and are subject to interference. In addition, much like light rays, they can be reflected, refracted, and focused.
Richard W. Payne, M.D. "The Plains Flute",The Flutists Quarterly, 1988, Vol. 13, no.4, The National Flute Association, Ind. Ann Arbor MI.
Sound is essentially a wave produced by a vibrating source. This compression and rarefaction of matter will transfer to the surrounding particles, for instance air molecules. Rhythmic variations in air pressure are therefore created which are detected by the ear and perceived as sound. The frequency of a sound wave is the number of these oscillations that passes through a given point each second. It is the compression of the medium particles that actually constitute a sound wave, and which classifies it as longitudinal. As opposed to transverse waves (eg. light waves), in which case the particles move perpendicular to the direction of the wave movement, the medium particles are moving in the same or opposite direction as the wave (Russell, D. A., 1998).
...te. In old times, most flutes were made of bamboo, which allowed even common people to play it. By covering the holes and blowing through the side hole while moving the fingers flexibly between the six holes, a sound will be produced that is leisurely and mellifluous like sound from far away. This always reminds people of a pastoral picture of a farmer riding on a bull while playing a flute
These simple forms of music expanded and the need to invent new instruments were created through knowledge of sounds. Modern science tells us that sound is simply energy created by vibrations from various medium. However in early human history, sound was believed to have mysterious power. These new instruments created forms of music that did not rely heavily on human voices.