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That's true, but proportions play a part. You need to make sure your soundbox has the right shape and sizing, or else you may have trouble getting all of the notes. Tuning mechanisms can be hard to set up/think of for certain instruments, but if you know how to, go for it!

Would I be better off with a wood marimba or the PVC pipe thing next year?
And pan pipes or a flute?

The PVC pipe thing, as you put it, is also a marimba. Go by sound, cost, and general practicality. High quality wood can sound REALLY nice, but it's expensive. PVC is cheap and easy to find, but the sound isn't as rich or full sounding. However, I do believe it's probably the quicker out of the two to make. It depends which is more convenient, and how much time you have. Considering that you're doing this for next year (right?) you probably have enough time to make either one.

Pan pipes or flutes... I have very litte opinion for or against either one. A flute will have to be long and wide with spread out fingers to hit the full range in my experience. I'm personally too tiny to deal with playing one, so it depends on who's playing it. Someone who's a little taller/has longer arms than me (which is not a big deal, I'm crazy small) could probably manage the full range.

silverheart7 wrote:The PVC pipe thing, as you put it, is also a marimba. Go by sound, cost, and general practicality. High quality wood can sound REALLY nice, but it's expensive. PVC is cheap and easy to find, but the sound isn't as rich or full sounding. However, I do believe it's probably the quicker out of the two to make. It depends which is more convenient, and how much time you have. Considering that you're doing this for next year (right?) you probably have enough time to make either one.

Pan pipes or flutes... I have very litte opinion for or against either one. A flute will have to be long and wide with spread out fingers to hit the full range in my experience. I'm personally too tiny to deal with playing one, so it depends on who's playing it. Someone who's a little taller/has longer arms than me (which is not a big deal, I'm crazy small) could probably manage the full range.

Thank you!

Uh, a PVC pipe thing is NOT a marimba and is not going to sound nearly as nice as a properly tuned wood marimba. For a marimba / xylophone, you don't need to splurge TOO much on the type of wood (maple should work fine), but you need to research and know what you're doing beforehand so you don't waste material.

Infinity Flat wrote:Uh, a PVC pipe thing is NOT a marimba and is not going to sound nearly as nice as a properly tuned wood marimba. For a marimba / xylophone, you don't need to splurge TOO much on the type of wood (maple should work fine), but you need to research and know what you're doing beforehand so you don't waste material.

Maybe I'm missunderstanding? I saw many insturments that people described as a PVC marimba.

ScienceOlympian wrote:Would I be better off with a wood marimba or the PVC pipe thing next year?
And pan pipes or a flute?

Personally (coming from a flute player) Flute is going to be much easier to handle and (if you play it right) requires less air meaning you aren't going to be huffing and puffing when you finish the piece.
BUT as for tuning I know that getting my own flute in tune is a challenge and a million (heck getting my regular flute to tune for me is sometimes a pain)

Above all we have gone through many diferent songs for our chosen piece (Lacrimosa Kalifina from Black Butler, Roxas' Theme from Kingdom Hearts, and some other more classical pieces) But I have written a piece of music and I wondering the benefits of writing your own music. It's called the Siren's Dance.

Is this event worth the work?

ScienceOlympian wrote:Is this event worth the work?

That's highly personal opinion, but I believe so.

It's difficult, I'm not going to lie and tell you it's not. But I love writing and transposing music. It's so much fun, and I personally love that part. I dislike learning the physics of Sound, but my partner is a ringer for the test/interview portion. We're a good match in the way that we can split up the work, so maybe that influences my feelings about this event.

It takes many hours of building, tuning, studying, and dedication. But in the end, it's going to pay off. At states, my partner and I didn't think we broke the top 10, even though we did our best. So at awards, as they called the places, he hugged me and told me that we tried. Just then, our name flashed onto the powerpoint as the silver medal, and I think I screamed. All of that work, all of that time, all of that stress... It's worth it.

However, I may or may not repeat this event next year. It can be extremely exhausting at times, but one can argue that it's all worth it.