Build A Band

Context:

Throughout this project, we engaged in four build days within our groups to craft a minimum of three instruments, spanning Wind, Chimes, and String categories. Given our quartet, we fashioned four distinct instruments: a trombone, wind chimes, a xylophone, and a ukulele.

Before commencing construction, blueprinting was imperative to conceptualize our designs. Once approved by our instructors, we worked on day one of making our instruments. On day one I had a sudden change in my blueprints and had to start over because I had realized that I had made a mistake.

On the second day I began finding wood and sting for my ukelele, I cut a hole in the middle and created the head, neck, and body of the instrument using cardboard and wood. By the third day I had to tune and string the instrument. the tunning was hard because some of the strings kept snapping, I eventually got it to stay put for our performance. Therefore, during build day four, I decided to assist my group in finalizing their instruments, if required.

My Instrument:

My instrument has 4 strings of all different lengths to create different notes. The string lengths are 43cm, 65cm, 51cm, and 38cm but you could also call them G4, C4, E4, and A4. Each string is looped around a screw that's been drilled into the “neck” of the instrument. To find the length of the strings you have to divide the wavelength of the note by two. The higher notes have a higher frequency than the lower notes because of the width and length of the strings. The width can make a string easier or harder to vibrate making a lower or higher note. The sound is amplified through forced vibration of the base of the ukulele.

Reflection:

This project was a really fun one and I enjoyed getting to create my own instrument as well as getting to teach the elementary kids  about waves and how they work. It showed me what kinds of people I work well with and who I don't. The group I was in was mainly my friends, I hang out with them quite often which made us compatible, but it was hard to focus on our work  So, naturally, we didn't do all that well as a group and I found myself with other groups trying to focus. I think that moving to other groups definitely helped me focus but it made me fall behind with my own group.  We also couldn't come to an agreement with what we wanted to do for our final presentation because nobody took the other seriously and we couldn't come up with a leader to keep the group on track. We work well as friends, but not good in class project groups.