Scioly.org

Hello all. I have one question, what is the equation for frequency? I understand the actual equation is Tube Length= SpeedofSound/(2*frequency) + Tube Diameter/2, but what would the speed of sound me? is it the speed of sound in air, or in the object that i am using such as copper or steel for a xylophone? So if i were to use 1 inch steel conduit and the speed of sound of steel is 5050 m/s, what would the length need to be for a G2?

AlphaTauri wrote:1 x 2 pine, found at Home Depot (or any such home improvement store). The only problem is that it's soft enough for the "mallets" I'm using to make small dents in it.

Would rubber balls be a good material for mallets?

Yep, I'm using bouncy balls as mallets (the ones that I mentioned had in that post were wooden and didn't work very well). Bouncy balls work pretty well, although in the lower register, you might get some "boing" noises along with the actual note.

For the chosen piece, would it be a good idea to compose our own music? I figure it will allow us to show off our instruments more, but concerned with how well it will go over with the judges.

There's something to be said for recognizable tunes. Most judges should be professionals and able to read any music you write. However, it will be easier for them to understand the music if they recognize it and probably will grade you slightly higher.

Gillen wrote:For the chosen piece, would it be a good idea to compose our own music? I figure it will allow us to show off our instruments more, but concerned with how well it will go over with the judges.

However, if you think you have the musicality to pull it off and the skills to compose something decent, go for it! This event is hugely subjective and is all about showing off all you got. It's a great way to prove to the judges you're a great musician.

AlphaTauri wrote:Yep, I'm using bouncy balls as mallets (the ones that I mentioned had in that post were wooden and didn't work very well). Bouncy balls work pretty well, although in the lower register, you might get some "boing" noises along with the actual note.

Did you somehow drill holes in them and attach them to wooden dowels or did you just super glue (which I would think would not work very well)

I (well, not me personally) drilled holes in them, but not all the way through, slightly smaller than the diameter of a wooden dowel and simply shoved the two together -- no superglue or anything of that nature. Note: sometimes the bouncy balls break/split apart, so you might want to buy a couple extra.

how are people cutting the arches of the bars? (if any)

doctor wrote:how are people cutting the arches of the bars? (if any)

I've heard that using a belt sander to scoop away the inside works decently well.