Transcript Playing the Drumbone

The Drumbone
Kyle Cavanaugh and Matt Oh
Inspiration
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Blue Man Group
Personal experience at
performance
Innovative instruments
based upon classical
concepts
Started in 1988 and
became increasingly
popular
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Grammy award 1999
The Making
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Materials
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PVC pipe
Rivets
Duct Tape
Sandpaper
What we did
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http://www.bmgconstruc
tion101.com/ for a basic
outline
Playing the Drumbone
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Strike the reed repeatedly as if it were a drum
Simply slide either or both sections of the large
pipe(s) along the smaller one(s)
This changes the length of the pipe, which in
turn causes a change in frequency
Longer lengths = lower frequency
Pipes can be played separately or together
The Math
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Analyzed plot spectrums
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Looked more like a drum than
a wind instrument
If the air has to travel through
a longer pipe (larger L), its
frequency will be lower
Without end correction,
fundamental frequency
should be 80.8 Hz
Actual fundamental
frequency was 80 Hz
If end correction was
completely to blame:
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F=C/(L+2e)
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End correction = 1 cm
End correction should be
.6*radius = 3.05cm
Possibilities for error:
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Measurement
Space between the sliding pipes
Sound produced through
percussive strike rather than
blowing
Professional Playing
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The Blue Man group
http://www.youtube.co
m/watch?v=LOL8qIYemg