Instruments and Function
Instrument Function
Over the past couple of weeks, our class has been constructing musical instruments by utilizing our knowledge of waves. And during the work-days, this knowledge has come in handy many times. By using our education in this field, we have been able to finely tune three types of instruments: our wind instrument, the bagpipe, our string instrument, the diddley bow, and our chime instrument, the bar chimes.
The Bagpipes
Our wind instrument is the bagpipes. Our design is comprised of pvc piping, duct tape, plastic tubing, and garbage bags. The pvc piping is used for the bodies of the bag pipe; they are the two drones and the chanter. The duct tape is used as the bag as well as the seals of almost every part of the bagpipes. The garbage bags are used as the membranes of the pipes. By blowing into the plastic tubing, the air molecules vibrate the membranes. The longer the pvc piping, the lower the note is, and the smaller the pipe, the higher the note. To make the different notes, you place your finger over the placed holes on the chanter, sort of like a recorder or flute. This is because of the length it takes for the vibrations to travel through the piping after the membranes’ reverberation. Exposing a hole on the chanter either shortens or lengthens the wavelengths causing different notes. An example would be the furthest hole if it is covered the note is low if it is not the note is slightly higher because the wave is shorter and leaving through that hole. Below are the positions of the holes on the chanter.
The Diddley Bow
The diddley bow is sort of like a guitar, just with less strings and different design ( Its nothing like a guitar). It is comprised of screws, fishing wire, a thin wooden plank, and a bottle. It is played by using a regular guitar pic and PVC pipe. The bottle works as an amplification device by increasing the tension on the fishing wire. The wooden plank is the base of the instrument. The screw holds the line in place. The tension of the fishing wire determines the different octaves at which the instrument is played. For example, the tighter the wire, the higher the frequency, and the looser the string, the lower the octave. It gets tighter and shorter by placing the PVC pipe on the wire. By plucking the diddley bow while holding down varying locations, we can execute all necessary notes. The effect that occurs is due to the increased tension on the wire. Because the bow is being plucked in the same spot, but the area that is being held down is changed, the note will always get higher. The bow makes a sort of twangy sound once it vibrated on the bottle. This is unintentional but makes the instrument have a sort of western blues twist to it. When you hold the PVC pipe and slide it on the wire, the sound makes a sliding strum instead of a very separate couple of chords.
The Bar Chimes
The bar chimes are pretty simple when it comes to function. The natural frequency of a material can be affected by many factors, length of object, type of material, thickness of object, et cetera. By tweaking with the length of the conduit piping we used to build the chimes, we could tune the bars to a certain pitch. The relationship that was determined between the length and frequency of the chimes is transparent, the ratio between the octaves is a factor of root two. By using this we were able to easily accommodate all seven notes that were required of the project. When the chimes are hit with a mallet or other material, they start to vibrate and give off the pitch corresponding to their fixed natural frequencies. When played, the sound that is produced is very soothing and pleasing to the ear.
Over the past couple of weeks, our class has been constructing musical instruments by utilizing our knowledge of waves. And during the work-days, this knowledge has come in handy many times. By using our education in this field, we have been able to finely tune three types of instruments: our wind instrument, the bagpipe, our string instrument, the diddley bow, and our chime instrument, the bar chimes.
The Bagpipes
Our wind instrument is the bagpipes. Our design is comprised of pvc piping, duct tape, plastic tubing, and garbage bags. The pvc piping is used for the bodies of the bag pipe; they are the two drones and the chanter. The duct tape is used as the bag as well as the seals of almost every part of the bagpipes. The garbage bags are used as the membranes of the pipes. By blowing into the plastic tubing, the air molecules vibrate the membranes. The longer the pvc piping, the lower the note is, and the smaller the pipe, the higher the note. To make the different notes, you place your finger over the placed holes on the chanter, sort of like a recorder or flute. This is because of the length it takes for the vibrations to travel through the piping after the membranes’ reverberation. Exposing a hole on the chanter either shortens or lengthens the wavelengths causing different notes. An example would be the furthest hole if it is covered the note is low if it is not the note is slightly higher because the wave is shorter and leaving through that hole. Below are the positions of the holes on the chanter.
The Diddley Bow
The diddley bow is sort of like a guitar, just with less strings and different design ( Its nothing like a guitar). It is comprised of screws, fishing wire, a thin wooden plank, and a bottle. It is played by using a regular guitar pic and PVC pipe. The bottle works as an amplification device by increasing the tension on the fishing wire. The wooden plank is the base of the instrument. The screw holds the line in place. The tension of the fishing wire determines the different octaves at which the instrument is played. For example, the tighter the wire, the higher the frequency, and the looser the string, the lower the octave. It gets tighter and shorter by placing the PVC pipe on the wire. By plucking the diddley bow while holding down varying locations, we can execute all necessary notes. The effect that occurs is due to the increased tension on the wire. Because the bow is being plucked in the same spot, but the area that is being held down is changed, the note will always get higher. The bow makes a sort of twangy sound once it vibrated on the bottle. This is unintentional but makes the instrument have a sort of western blues twist to it. When you hold the PVC pipe and slide it on the wire, the sound makes a sliding strum instead of a very separate couple of chords.
The Bar Chimes
The bar chimes are pretty simple when it comes to function. The natural frequency of a material can be affected by many factors, length of object, type of material, thickness of object, et cetera. By tweaking with the length of the conduit piping we used to build the chimes, we could tune the bars to a certain pitch. The relationship that was determined between the length and frequency of the chimes is transparent, the ratio between the octaves is a factor of root two. By using this we were able to easily accommodate all seven notes that were required of the project. When the chimes are hit with a mallet or other material, they start to vibrate and give off the pitch corresponding to their fixed natural frequencies. When played, the sound that is produced is very soothing and pleasing to the ear.