Topic: I need to make a crappy homemade instrument in four days (Read 13341 times)

squawk · « **on:** 24 Jan 2009, 16:34 »

Hey guys help me with my homework!

In physics we are studying "sound". We will go about doing this by building an instrument of our own. The only requirement is that it is not an existing instrument--we can use parts of other ones, though--and that it plays a scale. Ideally it should be an actual scale, but really it just has to play eight ascending notes.

Since this topic deals with my favorite thing in the whole world of course I'm going to approach it way too ambitiously. This is a Problem. I would like to make something original (as original as you can get when building an instrument with this many limitations, anyway), but it also has to be somewhat simple and actually work. And I have too many options!

So if you have any creative ideas, throw them at me! Maybe I won't use it for this week but perhaps I'll do it on my own time and use it in a song or something.

michaelicious · « **Reply #1 on:** 24 Jan 2009, 16:39 »

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=XAg5KjnAhuU

celticgeek · « **Reply #2 on:** 24 Jan 2009, 16:40 »

How about a Lego samisen?

Inlander · « **Reply #3 on:** 24 Jan 2009, 16:58 »

When you say "not an existing instrument", do you mean that it has to be an entirely new and previously unknown variety of instrument - or just that you cant, say, modify your old guitar into a slightly strange guitar?

squawk · « **Reply #4 on:** 24 Jan 2009, 17:02 »

You can't just bring in a ukulele and say "here is this thing I made". But yes, we are allowed to modify things, like using a guitar neck and attaching it to something else or something.

squawk · « **Reply #5 on:** 24 Jan 2009, 17:08 »

Wait I don't think I read the question very well.

We can make our version of an existing instrument. Mostly kids just drill holes in pvc pipe and call it some sort of flute thing.

Spluff · « **Reply #6 on:** 24 Jan 2009, 17:25 »

Make a cigarbox guitar!

squawk · « **Reply #7 on:** 24 Jan 2009, 17:33 »

I gotta do this by Wednesday man

michaelicious · « **Reply #8 on:** 24 Jan 2009, 17:37 »

Wednesday is upwards of 80 hours away. I think even more for you. Quit makin' excuses.

MadassAlex · « **Reply #9 on:** 25 Jan 2009, 05:00 »

Make a two-stringed mini-guitar and tune it in fifths and play Breakin' The Law. With some kind of bow.

Sirkuse · « **Reply #10 on:** 25 Jan 2009, 08:36 »

How much are you looking to spend?

i mean...

It would cost tons, but you could make your own banjola. they have such a unique timbre.

http://www.banjolas.com/

good luck! you should post what you come up with. I would at least be interested in seeing/hearing it.

Retrospectre · « **Reply #11 on:** 25 Jan 2009, 11:08 »

Just put some glitter on a jug.

Patrick · « **Reply #12 on:** 25 Jan 2009, 15:15 »

Take a sheep's stomach and turn it into an *authentic* bagpipe.

carrotosaurus · « **Reply #13 on:** 25 Jan 2009, 16:58 »

Fill a bunch of glasses with water to different levels and then play them.

Be My Head · « **Reply #14 on:** 25 Jan 2009, 16:59 »

They have to be beer bottles

Also, when you do it make sure to remember this...

Whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step

That's important, or else you faileth it.

IronOxide · « **Reply #15 on:** 25 Jan 2009, 17:25 »

Screw that, Anna's a smart girl. She'll tune whatever she makes to the octotonic scale.

billiumbean · « **Reply #16 on:** 25 Jan 2009, 18:39 »

You know the triangle? Make a rhombus.

orgasmtechnician · « **Reply #17 on:** 25 Jan 2009, 20:40 »

Quote from: tender on 25 Jan 2009, 20:17

Quote from: billiumbean on 25 Jan 2009, 18:39
You know the triangle? Make a rhombus.

Listen to this man.

I agree. Do it.

But seeing as you need to have a scale, just make 7 or 8 of them, depending on wether or not you want the octave.

Zingoleb · « **Reply #18 on:** 26 Jan 2009, 00:56 »

Arabian Scale - 8 notes, 9th makes the octave.

squawk · « **Reply #19 on:** 26 Jan 2009, 01:03 »

So I found a four-foot length of PVC pipe in my garage and I think I'm just going to make a xylophone for this assignment. One that you can turn on its side and it turns into pan pipes. I will play Zelda songs on this thing.

But I'll totally make a rhombus on my own time.

Patrick · « **Reply #20 on:** 26 Jan 2009, 01:58 »

Quote from: Zingoleb on 26 Jan 2009, 00:56

Arabian Scale - 8 notes, 9th makes the octave.

If you could perhaps teach this to the criers at the gigantic mosque downtown, that would be great. There's maybe 2 that are any good (and they are AWESOME), the other 4 need some work.

Zingoleb · « **Reply #21 on:** 26 Jan 2009, 02:28 »

Heh. I found my notes! Arabian scale in A is A B C D Eb F F# G# ...which is really unusual, because every note in the scale has its diminished fifth elsewhere in the scale...I haven't actually played around with it yet, but it seems like it would make very dissonant, very metal-ish sort of riffs.

MadassAlex · « **Reply #22 on:** 26 Jan 2009, 04:26 »

A Bb C# D E F G

A B C D E F G#

All you need.

Patrick · « **Reply #23 on:** 26 Jan 2009, 04:52 »

H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, and Z all declare a giant "FUCK YOU", Alex.

MadassAlex · « **Reply #24 on:** 26 Jan 2009, 04:54 »

H is just the freaky deaky Dutch way of saying "B". Or Norwegian. Or German. Or something.

As for the other letters: they may place their mouths upon my sensitive areas.

Spluff · « **Reply #25 on:** 26 Jan 2009, 05:15 »

Quote from: MadassAlex on 26 Jan 2009, 04:26

A Bb C# D E F G

Was going to post that myself. Phrygian dominant is hella swell.

MadassAlex · « **Reply #26 on:** 26 Jan 2009, 05:32 »

My favourite for extreme metal, bar none.

I should learn to fluently solo with it. It would be hella cool for Deathesque outings.

Johnny C · « **Reply #27 on:** 26 Jan 2009, 07:08 »

take a cheap pawnshop guitar and take off the neck and put it at a 90˚ angle to the guitar and then only put three strings on and play it with a slide and a bow

i have no idea if it would work but if it did it would sound AWESOME

McTaggart · « **Reply #28 on:** 26 Jan 2009, 07:48 »

Take a cheap pawnshop guitar and rip out the pickups and place them near moving metal parts of your car.

THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)

Author Topic: I need to make a crappy homemade instrument in four days (Read 13341 times)

Sirkuse

Zingoleb

Zingoleb