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Engaging Inquiry-Based Labs in Musical Acoustics for Non-Majors

"Good Vibrations" is a dynamic course designed at Washington & Jefferson College, aimed at non-science majors to actively explore musical acoustics through inquiry-based learning. The course incorporates hands-on experiments, real instrument measurements, and the acoustics of campus auditoriums. Using tools like Vernier Software’s Logger Pro and free online resources, students engage with concepts such as overtones, inharmonicity, and reverberation time. This interactive method not only makes learning enjoyable but also reinforces scientific principles through tangible experiences.

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Engaging Inquiry-Based Labs in Musical Acoustics for Non-Majors

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  1. Inquiry-Based Labs in Musical Acoustics M. S. Pettersen Washington & Jefferson College

  2. “Good Vibrations:” a course in musical acoustics for non-majors Goal: bring active learning into a class for non-science majors • Studies show active learning methods are more effective (Laws; McDermott; Redish and Steinberg; Birk and Foster; etc.). • Students see and hear phenomena for themselves. • The best way to learn about science is to practice it • It’s fun, too!

  3. … which implies that the course should: • Include the old-fashioned kind of experiments that students can see, hear, feel • Alternate bench-top experiments with measurements of real instruments, acoustics of campus auditoriums, etc. • Using Vernier Software’s Logger Pro • Using free software from the internet • Incorporate music listening

  4. Old-fashioned experiments Siren disc Monochord (sonometer) Melde’s apparatus Chladni plates

  5. New-fangled experiments using Logger Pro • Overtones • Inharmonicity in the piano • Percussion instruments and virtual pitch • Differences among the woodwinds • Sound envelope • Echoes • Auditorium acoustics

  6. Inharmonicity of the piano

  7. Percussion instruments; virtual pitch Timpani Bass drum

  8. Differences among the woodwinds • Clarinet: odd overtones only (one end open, one end closed) • Saxophone: particularly strong second harmonic • Flute: almost pure fundamental

  9. Auditorium acoustics Reverberation time is about 1 s

  10. New-fangled experiments using software; Electronic music • Fourier synthesizer Java applet • Spectrogram software • Software synthesizer (electronic instruments) • .mp3 compression with MediaMonkey • Signal processing and sound editing with Audacity

  11. Fourier synthesizer Java applet http://www.phy.ntnu.edu.tw/ntnujava/viewtopic.php?t=33

  12. Spectrogram software • Aaaaaaaaaaa! • FFFFF Note formants, overtones

  13. Signal processing and sound editing with Audacity Row, row, row your boat….

  14. Listening • Bach Brandenburg #2: overtones on the Baroque (valveless) trumpet • Berlioz Requiem – Dies Irae (Tuba Mirum) – speed of sound

  15. Sources • Fourier synthesizer Java applet: • http://www.phy.ntnu.edu.tw/ntnujava/viewtopic.php?t=33 • Spectrogram software: • http://www.visualizationsoftware.com/gram.html • Media Monkey audio format converter and .mp3 ripper: • http://www.mediamonkey.com/download.htm • Audacity sound editing and processing software: • http://audacity.sourceforge.net • Auditory Demonstrations CD: • http://asa.aip.org/discs.html • Evolution eKeys Keyboards: • http://www.zzounds.com

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