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Making Sound With A Didge


Didgeridoos have been droning out their unique sound for more than 1,500 years. But how? This is a quick guide to how sounds are made in a closed pipe system, just like a didgeridoo.

Click on the images to enlarge each of them.

  1. The musician sends pulses of air down the tube which are reflected back from the open end.










  2. The two types of pulse interact to produce areas of even higher pressure.








  3. When a series of pulses are sent down the pipe, they interact with reflected pulses to set up a standing wave.















  4. If the standing wave hits the pipe's resonant frequencies, or one of its harmonic frequencies then the pipe will vibrate to produce a sound. Some people would say that the sound is music.




 
Go back to the article How Didgeridoos Work. Or try to get your head round how pyrophones work.



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11 Feb 2009
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