Lab: Making A Digeridoo The Physics Of Musics
ADVERTISEMENT
1
2
3Name ________________________________________ Date __________ Period ________
LAB: Making a Digeridoo
T H E P H Y S I C S O F M U S I C S
Background:
The didgeridoo is a unique wind instrument of the Indigenous Australians of northern
Australia. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or “drone pipe”. A didgeridoo is
usually cylindrical or conical in shape and can measure anywhere from 1 to 2 meters in length, with
most instruments measuring around 1.5 meters. Generally, the longer the instrument, the lower the
#
pitch or key of the instrument. Keys from D to F
are the preferred pitch or traditional Aboriginal
players.
Procedure:
1. Obtain a length of 1½” PVC or ABS pipe. Use the chart below to determine the length
required to create the desired pitch of your didgeridoo. Cut it to the length (ask teacher for
assistance) for the fundamental tone you want it to make. The basic equation shows the
relationship between length and frequency: length = velocity / (2 · frequency) where velocity
is the velocity of sound in air, about 1087 ft/sec, or more conveniently 13,044 inches/sec.
Note
Frequency(Hz)
Length(inches)
A
55.000
118.582
B
61.735
105.645
C
65.408
99.713
D
73.415
88.837
E
82.408
79.143
F
87.308
74.701
G
98.000
66.551
A
110.000
59.291
B
123.470
52.823
C
130.815
49.857
D
146.830
44.419
E
164.815
39.572
F
174.615
37.351
G
196.000
33.276
A
220.000
29.645
B
246.940
26.411
C
261.630
24.928
D
293.660
22.209
E
329.630
19.786
F
349.230
18.675
G
392.000
16.638
ADVERTISEMENT
0 votes
Related Articles
Related forms
Related Categories
Parent category: Education