Sounds of Music C

stevenrkeyes
Member
Member
Posts: 7
Joined: March 9th, 2011, 6:50 pm
Division: C
State: GA
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Sounds of Music C

Post by stevenrkeyes »

I have a question about the percussion instrument clarification that it must be a "membranophone". I noticed at my local and state competitions that many of the percussion instruments were not membranophones. For example, I saw several xylophones and marimbas made of various materials. The blocks of these instruments make them ideophones. I also saw PVC tube percussion instruments that resembled tubular bells or the resonators on professional marimbas. At best, they may be ideophones, and they probably also have aerophonic character, but they're still not membranophones. I even saw guitar-like instruments, chordophones.

Have teams been penalized for this to anyone's knowledge? Will they be at World? Is membranophonic character too hard to judge, and most judges will be lax on this?
AlphaTauri
Staff Emeritus
Staff Emeritus
Posts: 829
Joined: September 11th, 2009, 1:41 pm
Division: Grad
State: PA
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 1 time
Contact:

Re: Sounds of Music C

Post by AlphaTauri »

...Where is this clarification, that percussion instruments must be membranophones?

A percussion instrument (according to this) is a musical instrument where sound is produced by one object hitting another, and under Hornbostel-Sachs, both idiophones and membranophones are typified as percussion instruments. Therefore, xylophones/marimbas/etc. are perfectly legal. I believe there's even a National clarification that says anything listed under idiophone or membranophone on Hornbostel-Sachs is allowed.

The PVC instruments you mentioned are also considered percussion, as they are struck to produce sound through vibration of a column of air (which is caused by the vibration of the PVC). To be considered aerophones, the vibration of the air must produce the sound, and the instrument itself should not vibrate.

Teams should not be penalized for making ideophones, as they are perfectly within the rules (also, making 27 pitched drums to cover the entire range would be a HUGE pain). However, dulcimer-like instruments may or may not be legal, depending on the judge's interpretation of "percussion".
Hershey Science Olympiad 2009 - 2014
Volunteer for Michigan SO 2015 - 2018

]\/[ Go Blue!
User avatar
Bogoradwee
Member
Member
Posts: 117
Joined: January 19th, 2010, 1:47 pm
Division: Grad
State: MI
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Sounds of Music C

Post by Bogoradwee »

I believe dulcimers to be perfectly legal because it's like a piano, there are only two hammers. I've never heard of a piano being classified as a string instrument.
Science Olympiad: Guessing and BSing our way to victory!
Btw, if you see me in IRC chat, I'm Exothermic
2009: I don't remember/ not very noteworthy.
2010: See above.
2011: Regionals- 3rd WIDI, 3rd Optics, 3rd Fossils, 3rd overall States- 4th WIDI
AlphaTauri
Staff Emeritus
Staff Emeritus
Posts: 829
Joined: September 11th, 2009, 1:41 pm
Division: Grad
State: PA
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 1 time
Contact:

Re: Sounds of Music C

Post by AlphaTauri »

Pianos ARE considered string instruments/chordophones, though, because it's the vibration of the string that causes the sound, even though the string is struck. (With that logic, I guess dulcimers would be banned as well.)
Hershey Science Olympiad 2009 - 2014
Volunteer for Michigan SO 2015 - 2018

]\/[ Go Blue!
User avatar
Bogoradwee
Member
Member
Posts: 117
Joined: January 19th, 2010, 1:47 pm
Division: Grad
State: MI
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Sounds of Music C

Post by Bogoradwee »

Oh... good thing my brother didn't make a dulcimer then!
Science Olympiad: Guessing and BSing our way to victory!
Btw, if you see me in IRC chat, I'm Exothermic
2009: I don't remember/ not very noteworthy.
2010: See above.
2011: Regionals- 3rd WIDI, 3rd Optics, 3rd Fossils, 3rd overall States- 4th WIDI
chalker
Member
Member
Posts: 2107
Joined: January 9th, 2009, 7:30 pm
Division: Grad
State: OH
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 56 times

Re: Sounds of Music C

Post by chalker »

AlphaTauri wrote:...Where is this clarification, that percussion instruments must be membranophones?

A percussion instrument (according to this) is a musical instrument where sound is produced by one object hitting another, and under Hornbostel-Sachs, both idiophones and membranophones are typified as percussion instruments. Therefore, xylophones/marimbas/etc. are perfectly legal. I believe there's even a National clarification that says anything listed under idiophone or membranophone on Hornbostel-Sachs is allowed.

The PVC instruments you mentioned are also considered percussion, as they are struck to produce sound through vibration of a column of air (which is caused by the vibration of the PVC). To be considered aerophones, the vibration of the air must produce the sound, and the instrument itself should not vibrate.

Teams should not be penalized for making ideophones, as they are perfectly within the rules (also, making 27 pitched drums to cover the entire range would be a HUGE pain). However, dulcimer-like instruments may or may not be legal, depending on the judge's interpretation of "percussion".

From http://soinc.org/official_rules_clarif
Only wind instruments (Aerophones) and percussion instruments (Idiophones and Membranophones) are allowed, no stringed instruments (Chordophones) or Electrophones are allowed. To determine whether or not an instrument is allowed, check the musical instrument classification list: http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary ... odinstrume... and http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary ... tmain.html

Student Alumni
National Event Supervisor
National Physical Sciences Rules Committee Chair
stevenrkeyes
Member
Member
Posts: 7
Joined: March 9th, 2011, 6:50 pm
Division: C
State: GA
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Sounds of Music C

Post by stevenrkeyes »

Whoops, my bad. Forgot about the "and idiophones" bit. Thanks!
QuantumLeaper
Member
Member
Posts: 32
Joined: April 4th, 2011, 2:12 pm
Division: C
State: RI
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Sounds of Music C

Post by QuantumLeaper »

I'm thinking a lot about this event for next year, especially about the wind instrument. Usually we wind up making a flute, but I'm wondering what would happen if we changed it up a bit. What are some other wind instruments that anyone has made for Sounds?
"I know that the molecules in my body are traceable to phenomena in the cosmos. That makes me want to grab people on the street and say: ‘Have you HEARD THIS?"

-Neil deGrasse Tyson
User avatar
zyzzyva980
Admin Emeritus
Admin Emeritus
Posts: 1539
Joined: November 18th, 2009, 12:59 pm
Division: Grad
State: IA
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0
Contact:

Re: Sounds of Music C

Post by zyzzyva980 »

I would love to make a mello, because I would just rock the event, but the one brass instrument I saw this year, a trombone, had a horrible tone. I think flute is simply the easiest instrument to make, so that's why everyone does that.
Olathe North HS, 2011-2013 | National Runner-Up, Sounds of Music (2012)
Never lose the joy of competing in the pursuit of winning

Resources
Site Help: FAQ & IRC
Event Help: [wiki][/wiki] & Image Gallery
Social Networks: scioly.org on Facebook & Twitter
QuantumLeaper
Member
Member
Posts: 32
Joined: April 4th, 2011, 2:12 pm
Division: C
State: RI
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Sounds of Music C

Post by QuantumLeaper »

zyzzyva98 wrote:I would love to make a mello, because I would just rock the event, but the one brass instrument I saw this year, a trombone, had a horrible tone. I think flute is simply the easiest instrument to make, so that's why everyone does that.
Do you think that if you made a less common instrument (and pulled it off) then you'd score more points?
"I know that the molecules in my body are traceable to phenomena in the cosmos. That makes me want to grab people on the street and say: ‘Have you HEARD THIS?"

-Neil deGrasse Tyson
Locked

Return to “2011 Build Events”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests