Build a Band

Lucy Ostrowski, Emma Rice, Madison Brand, and Vanessa Diaz

Our song: https://youtu.be/HFBfvdafX6k

Objective: ​To build a band using our knowledge of wavelengths, frequencies, notes, and other
engineering skills. We are to make at least three instruments, including chimes, a string
instrument and a wind instrument.
How wavelengths correspond to their notes: 

Note   Wavelength  Frequency (Hertz, 1/s) 

(meters/cm) 

C   131.87  261.63 

D   117.48  293.66 

E   104.66  329.63 

F   98.79  349.23 

G   88.01  392.00 

A   78.41  440.00 

B   69.85  493.88 

 
 
Wind Instrument 
 
For our wind instrument we created an instrument similar in
style to a recorder, but it functions like a trumpet. Wind instruments
work in two ways; splitting the air like a recorder or creating a
vibration with your lips like using a trumpet. In our case we used the
second way, which was creating a vibration with our lips. Once a
vibration is started it needs to move through a tube of some kind.
You can make different frequencies with a tube by drilling holes in
it and then covering the holes to create an illusion that the pipe is a different length, rather than
creating separate tubes of different lengths. You can also change the length by moving the tube
like a trombone. For our wind instrument we used the technique of drilling holes and covering
them up to create the different notes. The scale we used was C4 - C5. To figure out where we
needed to place our holes on this instrument we used the ¼ wavelength
pattern. This pattern is designed to assign the note to a specific place
on the instrument multiplying by ¼. For example if a wavelength is
132 cm long, ¼ of that is 33 cm so the placement on a pipe would be
33 cm for that note.

Below is a table showing the wavelength for each note we used in

centimeters.

Note Frequency (Hz) Wavelength (cm) Length on Instrument

(cm)

C 261.63 131.87 33 cm

D 293.66 117.48 29 cm

E 329.63 104.66 26 cm

F 349.23 98.79 24.69

 G 392.00 88.01 22 cm

A 440.00 78.41 19.6 cm

B 493.88 69.85 17.5 cm

C 523.25 65.93 16.5 cm

String Instrument: 

As we have learned, all sound comes from vibration. The way that a string instrument

works is that a taut string is plucked, and it vibrates, creating a note. String instruments vibrate as

one standing wave, which is half of one wavelength. Thicker wires vibrate slower and have

lower frequencies while lighter strings vibrate faster and create higher frequencies. Different

lengths of strings also make a big impact on the frequency. Below is a table that represents how

the string length affects the note.

Note   String Length 

C   66 cm 

D   58.74 cm 

E   52.33 cm 

F   49.4 cm 

G   44 cm 

A   39.2 cm 

B   55 cm 
 
 For our instrument, we used both tension and string length. The box guitar uses frets to

adjust the length of the string, and screws to adjust the tune and the tension. The frets are placed

at the lengths above, and when one of the strings is pressed into one of the frets, it “shortens” the

string, therefore changing the frequency. The scale that was used is called C4, and it works best

for string instruments because it is not too high-pitched nor is it too low. Below are pictures of

my instrument.

Chime Instrument: 

Every object has a natural frequency at which it vibrates. As you hit a certain material, it creates

a frequency. The natural frequency of a certain material depends on many factors. These factors

include chemical composition, density, rigidity, thickness, shape, size, and length. However,

unlike the other instruments, the wavelength does not correlate with the length of the chime.

Rather, a full octave has a ratio of a square root of two between notes. The natural frequency of
our chime instrument is created when the copper pipe contacts the steel pipe. It is elevated on

strings, so the chimes are able to vibrate. The pipes are made of steel, because harder materials

have clearer, louder, natural frequencies.

Note Multiply Longest Chime Length By: Length of the Chime

D 1.0000 30 cm

E 0.9428 28.284 cm

F 0.8944 26.832 cm

G 0.8660 25.98 cm

A 0.8165 24.495 cm

B 0.7746 23.238 cm

C 0.7303 21.909 cm

D 0.7071 21.213 cm
 

Piano: 

For our fourth instrument, we decided to create a signature piece. This instrument was
very different then most of the instruments our peers designed, for one major reason; it is
programmed. We choose to make a programmed piano using our prior knowledge of the
programming software called Arduino. We found a tutorial that helped us create our piano which
can be accessed to below.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Cardboard-Piano/

The way that our piano works is that it has keys that have jumper wires connected to them,
which connect to a breadboard, that connects to our computer that hosts and runs the Arduino
program. Fortunately the code was embedded with the tutorial in the link above, so we only had
to focus on building the actual piano. Below are images of our piano

Unfortunately we were not able to complete the piano and get it to fully work by the date
we needed to present. It was extremely fun and exciting to work on this instrument even if it
ended up not working because it was a unique and creative idea that my group and I came up
with. While it did not work, the experience was valuable and we were able to put some of our
knowledge and skills from one of our previous projects into another one.
How it was supposed to work was that it was supposed to have the jumper wires
connecting to the aluminum foil on the keys and going into the pin numbers in the arduino. Once
they key is pressed their would be another aluminum foil underneath which is connected to
ground on the arduino. Then once they key was pressed down it would have the two aluminum
foils connecting. The aluminum foil on the base was supposed to be connecting to ground on the
arduino which all in a way is connected. The code for the arduino was in the tutorial but what
wasn’t in the tutorial was the type of resistor used and if there was a buzzer needed. We guessed
what kind of resistor was needed, but most likely it won’t work. We think there is a buzzer as
well so we added it. It was supposed to play the middle octave 4 C to 5 C. We tried to do it, and
if it doesn’t work (which is most likely the case) we would have a possible idea for our next
project which is the To Do It Better Project. We did not fully understand it, and how it worked
but it was fun attempting to do it. What was said is what we mostly understood, but are still
uncertain about it. It was fun, but the odds are really against it working. The cutout keyboards
were a slight bit off and everything did not align good but in a way it aligned ok.