TomHart said:Have you ever tuned an instrument? I will assume that you have not. If you have two instruments (whatever they are - flutes, guitars, digitally generated sine waves, etc.), and you strike a sound on each of them, if the frequencies of those two sounds are slightly different, you will be able to hear that frequency difference. The effect you will hear is a modulating amplitude. In other words, you will hear the combined sound getting louder and softer at a certain frequency. That frequency is called the beat frequency.
One thing you could do to observe this effect visually is create an Excel sheet. Generate two sine waves - one at, say, 440 Hz (note A4) and another at, say, 444 Hz. Then mathematically add those 2 waveforms and plot the result. You will be able to see the 4 Hz beat frequency.
One other important part of this problem that may not be obvious to everyone is this: When the length of the flute is increased, the pitch (frequency) of the sound decreases.
Edit: Here is a short video clip to demonstrate beat frequency.
Your equation is appropriate. If you know fbeat (which you do), and you know f1 (which you do), there are only 2 possible solutions for f2.Wimpalot said:fbeat = |f1 - f2|
Right of course, thank youTomHart said:Your equation is appropriate. If you know fbeat (which you do), and you know f1 (which you do), there are only 2 possible solutions for f2.
So have you figured out which one?Wimpalot said:Only 2 possible solutions ...
rude man said:So have you figured out which one?
Your choices are 587+4 = 591 and 587 - 4 = 583.Wimpalot said:I think it was 585Hz. Sorry it has been a while since I did this problem. Honestly I think I just guessed at whether it was 585 or 589
The "initial frequency" of a flute player refers to the fundamental frequency at which they start playing a note on the flute. It is the lowest frequency produced by the flute player's lips and is determined by the length of the flute and the player's embouchure.
The initial frequency determines the pitch of the note played on the flute. Higher initial frequencies produce higher pitched notes, while lower initial frequencies produce lower pitched notes. The initial frequency also affects the tone and quality of the sound produced by the flute player.
Yes, a flute player can change their initial frequency by altering their embouchure or by using different fingerings on the flute. They can also change the length of the flute by using different keys or by using their embouchure to bend the pitch.
The main factors that can affect a flute player's initial frequency are the length of the flute, the player's embouchure (shape of their lips and the amount of air blown into the flute), and the temperature and humidity of the surrounding air. These factors can cause small variations in the initial frequency produced by the flute player.
No, the initial frequency is not the only factor that determines the pitch of a note played on the flute. The length of the flute, the player's embouchure, and the fingerings used on the flute all play a role in determining the pitch of a note. Additionally, the flute player's ability to control their air speed and pressure can also affect the pitch of a note.