Physics of Sound and Music – Performance Assessment
Purpose
Students will apply what they have learned about the properties of waves and sound to build a musical
instrument that can play eight frequencies or notes on pitch. The students will play a song on their
instruments to demonstrate how they can change the instrument's pitch and loudness.
Materials
Students will build their instruments with inexpensive materials such as fishing line and plastic tubes, PVC,
etc. Please see attached examples of ideas in regards to building your musical instrument. No prepurchased kits or instruments may be used.
Instructions
1. You are in charge of constructing your musical instrument. You can get help from family members
especially if tools such as saws need to be used.
2. Your instrument can be a string, percussion or wind instrument.
3. Your instrument cannot use parts from other musical instruments.
4. If you play an instrument, pick another type of instrument to construct for this project.
5. You must play a scale of eight notes on your instrument: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C.
6. You must play a song using at least five musical notes.
7. Prepare a short oral presentation to the class explaining how you built your instrument, how your
instrument works to change pitch and loudness, and the problems that you had in building your musical
instrument.
Presentation
1. Show your instrument to the class.
2. Play at least eight musical notes to the class.
3. Play the “required song” that uses at least five musical notes.
4. When you are finished playing your song, answer the following questions in your oral presentation to the
class.
A. How did you build your instrument?
B. How did you change the loudness and pitch of your instrument?
C. What problems did you overcome when you were making your instrument?
D. Where did you get the idea and instructions for building your instrument? This would include the
title of the book or the Internet web site.
Website Links
Tuning your instrument using this virtual piano (See quick link on teacher website)
http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/music/piano/index.htm
Teacher Tips
1. PVC pipes and even bamboo make great wind instruments such as pan-pipes and flutes.
2. Fishing line can be used to make string instruments. A note of caution: Fishing line tends to stretch so you
must be able to tighten or loosen the strings on the day of the presentation to tune their instruments.
3. Rubber sheeting, metal pipe, PVC pipe, and copper tubing can be used to make percussion instruments
such as xylophones and drums.
4. The appearance of the instrument is not important, the sound quality and amplitude is!
5. You may play other songs for additional points…….the songs listed are the bare minimum.
Oral Presentation Rubric
_____ 1. You played at least eight musical frequencies/notes on your instrument. (20 points)
_____ 2. You played a listed song that uses at least five musical notes. (20 points)
_____ 3. Your musical frequencies/notes were played at the correct pitch. (20 points)
_____4. The amplitude of your frequencies/notes could be heard at the back of the classroom. (20 points)
_____ 5. During your presentation you explained how you built your instrument. (5 points)
_____ 6. During your presentation, you explained how you changed your instrument's pitch. (5 points)
_____ 7. During your presentation, you explained how you changed your instrument's amplitude (5 points)
_____ 8. During your presentation, you explained any problems that you encountered when you were
engineering and designing your instrument. (5 points)
Extra Credit
____1. Your instrument played more (at least four additional) than eight different musical notes. (5 points)
____2. You played a more difficult song than the required song. (10 points)
____3. You practiced and played a song in unison with a “band” or other group members. (10 points)
I. Building a set of Panpipes
(Instructions are modified to make an 8 note set of tubes)
Begin by getting approximately 3 ½ feet of 1/2-inch/schedule-40 PVC sprinkler pipe.
Note
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
Length (cm)
19.4
17.3
16.3
15.6
13
12.2
10.9
1) Cut the tubing into the sections listed above.
2) Place a penny over one end of each pipe and cover each penny with a 2" X 2" square piece of
duct tape.
3) Wrap about 18 inches of duct tape around the set as shown on the right. Blow across the top of
each pipe — it's just like blowing on a soda bottle.
II. Building a 8-note Water Bottle Xylophone
Start by getting five 20-ounce Sobe juice bottles. Fill each bottle with the amounts of water shown
above using U.S. fluid ounces (19, 13, 11, 8, 6). Mark your bottles carefully at the water level with
a permanent marker. Number your bottles 1, 2, 3, 5 & 6 and arrange them in the order above — 1
on your left and 6 on your right. Gently tap the middle of the bottle with a metal spoon.
19oz
13oz
11oz
8oz
6oz
III. Building a set of Fraction Tubes
(Instructions are modified to make an 8 note set of tubes)
Begin by getting approximately 7 feet of class 200 - 3/4 inch PVC sprinkler pipe.
Note
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
Length (cm)
38.9
34.6
32.7
29.1
25.9
24.5
21.8
1) Cut the tubing into the sections listed above.
2) Place a 1" X 1" chipboard square (from a cereal box) over one end of each tube.
3) Cover each chipboard square with a 2" X 2" square piece of duct tape.
4) Wrap about 15 inches of duct tape around the set as shown on the right. Tap on the tops of the
tubes with your fingers
IV. Building a 5-note Glockenspiel
Get ten feet of 1/2-inch Electrical Metallic Tubing (EMT) pipe.
Note
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
Length (cm)
19.4
17.3
16.3
15.6
13
12.2
10.9
1) With a metal pipe cutter (not a hacksaw), cut the tubing into theseven sections listed on the left
(some full-service hardware stores will do this for you).
2) Arrange your tubes as shown so that the longest is on the bottom and the shortest is on top.
3) String the tubes together (simple knots will do) along both sides so there are 2 inches between
each tube. You may also place the tubes on two pieces of felt or foam rubber.
4) Try different "mallets" (metal/wood/plastic) to obtain a variety of timbres.
V. Building a 5-note set of Melodic Tube Drums
Begin by getting approximately 10 feet (3 meters) of 2-inch diameter ABS pipe.
Note
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
Length (cm)
19.4
17.3
16.3
15.6
13
12.2
10.9
1) Cut the tubing into the five sections listed on the left. (Continue the ratios for the eight note
requirement)
2) Cut five 2-inch circles from a rectangular plastic baby wipe container.
3) Glue a plastic circle on top of each tube — allow the glue to set.
4) Arrange tubes 1, 2 & 3 over a piece of duct tape that is 30 inches (76 centimeters) long. Apply
a drop of glue between each tube in line with the duct tape.
5) On tubes 1-3, apply drops of glue (in line with the duct tape) where 5 & 6 will make contact.
Carefully place tubes 5 & 6 on top of tubes 1, 2 & 3. Position tubes 5 & 6 to be 1-inch (3
centimeters) higher than tubes 1, 2 & 3.
6) Apply a drop of glue between tubes 5 & 6, and tightly wrap the duct tape around the 5-tube set
— allow the glue to dry before moving the instrument.
7) After the glue is completely dry, hold the instrument under your left arm and play with your right
hand. Quickly strike/tap the drum heads (plastic circles) near the center to produce the best
sound
Songs to Choose From
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
CCCDE
EDEFG
C'C'C' GGG EEE CCC
GFEDC
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
C-C-G-G-A-A-G_,
F-F-E-E-D-D-C_,
G-G-F-F-E-E-D_,
G-G-F-F-E-E-D_,
C-C-G-G-A-A-G_,
F-F-E-E-D-D-C_.
Mary Had a Little Lamb
BADABBB
AAABDD
BAGAFFF
BAABAG
On Top of Old Smokey
CCEGCA
FFGAG
CCEGGD
EFEDC