The guitar is a beautiful musical instrument with the capability to reproducing sound. The guitar is composed of six strings that can be played acoustically. A guitar is an instrument with a long flattened neck, a flat wooden sound box, ribs and a back that is flat. Its main body is shaped like the outer line of the number eight 8.
Some important things about the strings of a guitar
A string by it self could hardly create noise, they are very thin and is easy for them to skip through air and not make a disturbance. A sound wave is created through the disturbance of the air. So the vibrations are created when the string is stretched between two points allows the strings of the guitar to create a sound wave. Thanks to the length of the string and its sound trapping body, we are able to accomplish a resonance and sound amplification.
If the mass of a string is larger, it will cause the string to have a slow vibration.
The frequency is adapted by how much you stretch the string.
The resultant frequency is dependent on the length of the string in other words it freedom to vibrate. And applying your fingers between the frets you can temporary shorten the length of the string thus increasing the frequency.
Here is a more explicit image and a definition of the Guitar as Wikipedia defines it;
1.
2. Nut
3. Machine heads
4. Frets
5. Truss rod
6. Inlays
7. Neck
8. Heel (acoustic) –
9. Body
10. Pickups
11. Electronics
12. Bridge
13. Pickguard
14. Back
15. Soundboard (top)
16. Body sides (ribs)
17. Sound hole, with Rosette inlay
18. Strings
19. Saddle
20. Fret board
How to Tune a Guitar
Thru the study of physics we learned the logics of our real world. Because of our great interest in instruments we were able to understand how physics is applied to the tuning of a guitar. Musician all over the world tune a guitar by simply hearing a certain tone or using a tuning machine. But how is this translated or measure in physical dimensions. The Theory is based on traveling waves of speed V, frequency f and wavelength λ are describe by
V=f λ
Dimensions-
λ = m
f =1/seconds = Hz
v = m/s
Today we want share with you how to accomplish the tone of the letter E on a guitar
In order to obtain the traveling waver we need to determine the frequency of string.
Problem
Today Aleida wants to play the guitar, but unfortunately she must first tune the guitar in order to play a song. The string length on her guitar measures 71 cm. and the wave speed is 31 m/s. If Yinette want to help Aleida, what is the frequency they must obtain to play the letter E on the guitar?
Calculation,
V= 31 m/s
λ=71 cm (1 cm=0.01 m) λ=.071 m
find f?
31 m/s= .071 m x f
31/.071= f
436.61=f
Once they obtain a frequency of about 440 Hz they will have tune the string to play the letter E.
In order to tune the strings on the guitar we must apply a very important physics concept.
We can increase the wave length of a stretch string by increasing the tension in the string. In other words when we turn the tuners we raise the tension of the string hence producing an increase on the frequency. As well as decreasing the tension of the string decreases the frequency.
Throughout research we learned that increasing the mass of the string decreases the wave speed. Decreasing the wave speed and at the same time the frequency, it results on a lower tone.
We finally came to a conclusion that changing the frequency is a simple matter of changing the tension of the string, and that is how you can tune a guitar string. This is a great way to connect the study of physics to our real world using a subject of interest such as music.
