Build a working instrument out of scrap materials, tune it on purpose using what you now know about length and tension, and record a short video showing it off.
🎯 Goals
Design and build a working instrument using only scrap materials.
Tune it to produce at least three clearly distinguishable pitches, using length/tension reasoning instead of pure guesswork.
Keep a tuning log documenting what you changed and how the pitch responded.
Record a short music video demonstrating the instrument in action.
🧰 Materials
🎁Scrap materials of your choice — rubber bands, straws, cardboard, tape, cups, wood scraps, wire, boxes
✂️Scissors or a way to cut/shorten materials
📱A phone or camera for recording (and for a tuning app if you want one)
📓Physics notebook for your tuning log
📏 Constraints
Must be built primarily from scrap or reused materials — not a purchased instrument.
Must produce at least 3 clearly distinguishable pitches.
Must be tuned deliberately — your tuning log needs to show reasoning, not just trial and error.
Video must be 30–60 seconds and clearly show the instrument being played.
DAY 1Design & Build
1
Choose an instrument type: string, tube/air column, or a combination.
Sketch your design before you start cutting or taping anything. Note what part of the design you expect to be able to tune, and how.
2
Gather your scrap materials and begin construction.
Focus on getting a basic working version — it doesn't need to sound good yet, it just needs to make sound reliably.
DAY 2Build & First Tuning
3
Finish construction, then make your first tuning adjustments.
Use the Deep Dive cheat sheet: shorten/tighten to raise pitch, lengthen/loosen to lower it. Predict the direction before you try it.
4
Begin your tuning log — record every adjustment and what actually happened.
This log is what proves you tuned on purpose instead of by accident.
Adjustment made
Length/tension change
Predicted pitch direction
Actual result
📓 Physics Notebook
So far, has your instrument behaved the way the Deep Dive predicted? If not, what do you think is different about your real materials versus the ideal case?
DAY 3Tune & Refine
5
Keep adjusting until you can reliably produce at least 3 clearly distinguishable pitches.
'Clearly distinguishable' means a listener with their eyes closed could tell the pitches apart, not just that the numbers are technically different.
⚠️ If you're stuck, go back to the Deep Dive's Tuning Predictor and re-check your reasoning before changing anything else.
6
Practice playing something recognizable — even a simple 3-4 note pattern counts.
You'll be recording tomorrow, so this is your rehearsal.
DAY 4Record the Music Video
7
Film a 30-60 second video clearly showing your instrument being played.
Make sure the instrument itself is visible and the sound is audible in the recording.
8
Submit your video along with your finished tuning log.
Multiple takes are fine — turn in the one you're proudest of.
Question 1
Describe the biggest challenge you ran into while tuning, and how you solved it (or worked around it).
Question 2
Pick one adjustment from your tuning log and explain why it changed the pitch the way it did, using length/tension reasoning.
Question 3
If you built this instrument again from scratch, what would you change about the design to make tuning easier?