My daughter has to make a musical instument for physics class. The teacher ruled out glasses of water. We discussed a homemade whistle, but she doesn't want to have to learn how to play it. So, we're down to a xylophone as being something she could play.
Anyone have any suggestion as to how to make one? I'm a percussionist so I know roughly how they're built. But if anyone has some tips I'd appreciate it, especially regarding the size of the keys in relation to each other.
Are keys an octave apart simply a factor of 2? Are there 8 even half steps between octaves?
This could be fun.
Help with xylophones
- FJohnSharp
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Help with xylophones
"Meon an phobail a thogail trid an chultur"
(The people’s spirit is raised through culture)
Suburban Symphony
(The people’s spirit is raised through culture)
Suburban Symphony
I did a Google and below are some of the sites:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/library/ ... _Xylophone
http://www.tidewater.net/~xylojim/xylocons.html
http://library.thinkquest.org/04apr/00275/xylo.htm
Hope this helps!
MarkB
http://www.motherearthnews.com/library/ ... _Xylophone
http://www.tidewater.net/~xylojim/xylocons.html
http://library.thinkquest.org/04apr/00275/xylo.htm
Hope this helps!
MarkB
Everybody has a photographic memory. Some just don't have film.
- missy
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here's a site with instructions for a conduit pipe hammered dulcimer:
http://www.ehhs.cmich.edu/~dhavlena/dulcimer.htm
and if you back up a bit - there's all kinds of instructions for home-made instruments here:
http://www.ehhs.cmich.edu/~dhavlena/
Missy
http://www.ehhs.cmich.edu/~dhavlena/dulcimer.htm
and if you back up a bit - there's all kinds of instructions for home-made instruments here:
http://www.ehhs.cmich.edu/~dhavlena/
Missy
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More than you ever wanted to know about the physics of marimbas:
http://www.lafavre.us/tuning-marimba.htm
http://www.lafavre.us/tuning-marimba.htm
- FJohnSharp
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- Tell us something.: I used to be a regular then I took up the bassoon. Bassoons don't have a lot of chiff. Not really, I have always been a drummer, and my C&F years were when I was a little tired of the drums. Now I'm back playing drums. I mist the C&F years, though.
- Location: Kent, Ohio
Thanks everyone.
"Meon an phobail a thogail trid an chultur"
(The people’s spirit is raised through culture)
Suburban Symphony
(The people’s spirit is raised through culture)
Suburban Symphony
- Flyingcursor
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I wonder if the first marimba makers were so saavy on physics.Craig Stuntz wrote:More than you ever wanted to know about the physics of marimbas:
http://www.lafavre.us/tuning-marimba.htm
I'm no longer trying a new posting paradigm
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Of course not.Flyingcursor wrote:I wonder if the first marimba makers were so saavy on physics.Craig Stuntz wrote:More than you ever wanted to know about the physics of marimbas:
http://www.lafavre.us/tuning-marimba.htm
- Daniel_Bingamon
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You want to hold the bars at 22.5% from the ends to get maximum vibration.
You might might want to build a tubulodium - it is a Xylophone made from copper plumbing pipe. Use 3/4" or 1/2" Type M copper or thinner.
See if you can find the book "Sound Design" (out of print) at the library. It has a lot of what you need. Bart Hopkins book (mentioned in the previous posting) is definitely recommended. You can get that book directly from the authors website at http://www.windworld.com. Also, he has a lot of additional links on instrument building. Additionally, you can check out Music Instrument Makers Forum http://www.mimf.com
You might might want to build a tubulodium - it is a Xylophone made from copper plumbing pipe. Use 3/4" or 1/2" Type M copper or thinner.
See if you can find the book "Sound Design" (out of print) at the library. It has a lot of what you need. Bart Hopkins book (mentioned in the previous posting) is definitely recommended. You can get that book directly from the authors website at http://www.windworld.com. Also, he has a lot of additional links on instrument building. Additionally, you can check out Music Instrument Makers Forum http://www.mimf.com