Can a Longboard Skateboard Be Turned Into a Musical Instrument Using Pipes?

[wiznas]

I am an artist not a physicist, I do very much interactive art though, and as I am a bit geeky, I really love to get some physics tricks involved somehow. People get excited when there are little gizmos going and its just great!

So this project that I am working on has me stumped...I want to create a longboard skateboard deck out of pipes, that would function very much like flutes. As the air passes through, it hums, and the pitch changes depending on where you stand (probably by having a series of holes down the pipe).

Now I have made a few simple whistles and flute-like things, but I am starting to think that's barking up the wrong tree. I can't get them to hum while riding with them; my theory is because they rely on the wind going through such a small area that it gets all turbulent and its easier for the air to just pass over it. I tried making a simply scoop (or a funnel thing) but that didnt help. Butttt...when I was longboarding to my studio with some pieces of pvc, I could deffinately here one of them humming, so I am pretty sure this is possible. Any wisdom would be so much appreciated!

Dan

 

[berkeman]

I am an artist not a physicist, I do very much interactive art though, and as I am a bit geeky, I really love to get some physics tricks involved somehow. People get excited when there are little gizmos going and its just great!

So this project that I am working on has me stumped...I want to create a longboard skateboard deck out of pipes, that would function very much like flutes. As the air passes through, it hums, and the pitch changes depending on where you stand (probably by having a series of holes down the pipe).

Now I have made a few simple whistles and flute-like things, but I am starting to think that's barking up the wrong tree. I can't get them to hum while riding with them; my theory is because they rely on the wind going through such a small area that it gets all turbulent and its easier for the air to just pass over it. I tried making a simply scoop (or a funnel thing) but that didnt help. Butttt...when I was longboarding to my studio with some pieces of pvc, I could deffinately here one of them humming, so I am pretty sure this is possible. Any wisdom would be so much appreciated!

Dan

Welcome to the PF!

Turn the pipes sideways (so they go side-to-side, not along the long axis of the board).

 

[wiznas]

Can I still have holes on the top to change the pitch?

 

[berkeman]

I don't know enough about the physics of musical instruments to know the answer, but worst case, you could put buttons on top of the board that you could step on to close off the sideways tubes at different lengths. That definitely would change their pitches. Experiment some, eh?