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8Lb(4)
Musical instruments
double bass
piccolo
Not to scale
Sounds can have a high or a low pitch. High-pitched sounds, like a squeaking mouse or a piccolo,
are made by waves with a high frequency. Low-pitched sounds, like a rumbling stomach or a
double bass, are made by waves with a low frequency. Frequency is the number of vibrations each
second and it is measured in hertz (Hz).
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Most music is based on a scale of notes, which are arranged with rising or falling pitch. Western
music is based on notes named using the first seven letters of the alphabet – A, B, C, D, E, F, G.
The difference between two notes of the same name, such as C to C, is called an octave. Two Cs
one octave apart have frequencies where the higher C is twice that of the lower C.
1 Explain what high- and low-pitched sounds are and give an example of each.
2 Look at the diagram of the piano keyboard.
A
C’’’
32
frequencies (Hz)
C’’
64
C’
128
C
middle C
440 C’
512
C’’
C’’’
2048
C’’’’
4096
a What are the two missing frequencies?
b What is the frequency of the note an octave higher and an octave lower than the A note
shown?
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Musical instruments (continued)
3 Look at the diagram showing the frequency ranges of different instruments.
harp
violin
trumpet
voice
guitar
sitar
tuba
bass voice
F G A B C D E
bass
G A B C D E
C’’’
32
frequencies (Hz)
C’’
64
C’
128
cello
piccolo
flute
soprano voice
F G
A
440 C’
512
C
middle C
C’’
C’’’
2048
C’’’’
4096
a Name two instruments with overlapping frequencies.
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b Name two instruments that do not have overlapping frequencies.
c Apart from the piano, which instrument has the greatest range?
d Choose three other instruments and estimate their frequency ranges.
4 Pan pipes have been known for over 2000 years. They are played by blowing across the
individual tubes.
G A B C D E
F G A B C D E
F G
a How many octaves do these pan pipes have?
b How many notes can you play on the pan pipes?
c What vibrates to create the sound?
5 The sitar is a popular Indian instrument.
a What vibrates to create the sound?
b What is its frequency range?
c How does this compare to a guitar?
I CAN...
• describe the relationship between sound wave frequency
and sound pitch.
Exploring Science
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