The Recorder

The recorder makes sound by splitting the air that is blown

into it on a sharp edge. This air causes the pipe to vibrate.
The air that goes through the instrument exits through the
first open hole. This creates a note with a wavelength four
times the distance from the hole to the air splitter. It is
the wavelength because the air goes from high pressure
at the splitter to the ambient pressure when it exits the
instrument, creating of a wave. For example, the
wavelength of a C4 is 132cm, so the recorder is 33cm
long. The next sections of the wave go from ambient
pressure to low pressure, then back to the ambient
pressure, and finally back to the high pressure it started at.
It does not have any extra amplification, but this could be
achieved by adding a bell to the end like a clarinet. The
bell increases the surface area of the vibrating pipe,
causing it to move around more air, intensifying the wave
and amplifying the sound.
 The Ukulele
The ukulele produces sound by changing the length of the
strings and tightening the strings of the ukulele. The
vibrations of the strings create the sound. The ukulele has
finer strings causing it to vibrate faster and have higher
notes. My strings are made of fishing line making them
smaller than average guitar strings. Its wood frame helps
amplify the sound it creates, if you were to put it onto a
table it would increase its sound even more. Natural
frequency is a sound an object makes naturally. The
fishing line normally will not have a natural frequency
because it is to limp. This ukulele can play the 5th octave.
 Glass Harmonica
The glass harmonica is made from a series of glasses
secured to a base and filled with varied quantities of water
to make each note. When you wet your finger and rub it
around the rim of the glass it makes a high pitched hum.
This is caused by the glass vibrating very quickly back and
forth, not the water. The glass is elastic which means it
will try to revert itself back to its original position. When
the grooves of you finger catch on the glass it causes it to
vibrate which in turn causes sound. The different glasses
have different natural frequencies all depending on
thickness, size, shape, and more. The water in the glasses
weigh it down and partially prevent the glass from
vibrating, changing the note.
Picture of Instrument

NOTE WAVELENGTH (cm) STRING LENGTH FLUTE LENGTH

C4 132 66 33

D4 117 58 29

E4 105 52 26

F4 99 50 25

G4 88 44 22

A4 78 39 20

B4 70 35 18

C5 66 33 17
 The violin
The violin produces sound when you drag your bow
across the strings, and the strings vibrate. When the
string vibrate it create a note, and each note have a
certain frequency, the higher the frequency the higher the
note. The violin has 4 strings each string plays a different
note (G3, D4, A4, E5) because each string is tightened to
a certain degree and each string has a different thickness
and each note produces a different frequency (G3=196
Hz, D4=293.7 Hz, A4=440 Hz, and E5= 659.3 Hz). The nut
and the bridge have to push on the strings at one relatively
sharp point to prevent any unclean sounds.
 The Math
Every note has a unique frequency. In one octave, there
are 12 notes, with the final note having twice the
frequency of the first note. Using the note A4 (440Hz) as a
reference, the frequency of a note n half-steps away from
A4 is:
440Hz * ( 2 )n
12

For example, C4 is 9 half-steps below A4, so its frequency

is equal to 440 Hz * ( 2 )-9, or about 262 Hz.
12