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Do you think your instrument would make a difference for students in poverty to be able to access music?

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Do you think your instrument would make a difference for students in poverty to be able to access music?

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In my opinion, I think my guitar would allow students in poverty to learn music, as it functions exactly like a guitar. The guitar body itself is extremely sturdy with a strong connection between the neck and the body as well. In addition to this, the guitar is relatively light and can be carried around easily with the strap that I have attached to the back of the guitar. With the strap, one can carry the guitar around and stand up and play it. With soft nylon strings (easy to pluck and press) and a range of 2 octaves, I think this guitar would be a fairly good beginners guitar, considering the situation in which these children are in.  According to my tests, the guitar can play all 21 basic chords and can play some bar chords. It can also play simple songs, such as "twinkle twinkle" and "mary had a little lamb". For these reasons, I do believe that my guitar would allow children in poverty to begin learning music.

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When stringing my guitar, I found that my strings were not "up to level"- they were to low to be pressed down on. To fix this, I fashioned a small bridge and stuffed in into the bridge groove at the string holes at the end of the guitar body.

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Instead of having to build a guitar body out of individual pieces of scrap wood, I found an old classical guitar body. This meant that I just had to build a neck to be attached onto it.

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- Stuff bridge into bridge groove next to the string holes at the bottom of the guitar body
- Reinforce with wood glue

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The guitar fits relatively comfortable on my lap, with a tapered, smooth curve. The neck is also long enough to the extent that I do not have to pull my arm in to play certain notes. The length in between the frets was based of the neck of the recycled guitar body. Therefore, as professionals designed the original guitar, the length between the frets was adequate. I used a bridge and nut to raise the strings to a playable level.

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The guitar was built using the tools available to me in school. I did most of the work involved with building my guitar. However, Mr.Donnelly guided me through this process, and showed and taught me the skills required for every step of the way, as I have never used the tools in the design room before. In addition, I did not operate the bandsaw and sander, as I was not allowed to - the teachers operated those machines for me instead.

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I used a couple of nuts and bolts to create strap hooks so that my old guitar strap can be hooked on it. With the body of the guitar being hollow, the guitar is relatively light-weight. As stated before, this guitar should be easily identified as one, as it already possesses a pre-made guitar body.

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I completed the structure of my guitar during design lessons. However, I did not manage to find time during lessons to attach tuning pegs and strings. This meant that I had to come into during lunch times and bring my guitar home to string.

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1.1 The guitar must be able to be sat on the lap of the user
1.2 The neck of the guitar must be long enough so that the user can grip onto it well
1.3 The edges of the guitar must be smooth to rest on the user's lap
1.4 The strings of the guitar must be close enough to the neck so that it can be pressed down.

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The frets of the guitar would not scrape the user, as I used professional fret wire instead of nails. I have sanded the edges of the neck so that is tapered and smooth. I have made sure to sand all edges of the instrument so that the user would not get poked. In addition, the body of the guitar is already smooth, as it is premade.

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My instrument would definitely be recognized as a guitar, as it has an evident body, neck and frets. My body also happens to belong to an old classical guitar - it's body is well shaped and recognizable as a guitar. In addition, it is also brown, as opposed to my tan neck. This allows one to differentiate between my neck and the guitar.

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The materials I have used are all durable and safe. I have used strong, thick pieces of wood, and have sanded all of them so there are no splinters. The guitar body I used is sturdy as well, with a metal frame inside it. It is definitely safe as well, with it's edges well sanded. Unlike Mr.Donnelly's ukulele, I used fret-wire, so that my frets won't poke out and cut the user intermittently. The majority of the materials are secondhand, with the exception of my tuning mechanisms and fret wire.

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The main components of the guitar are constructed of recycled materials, with the body of an old guitar being reused and the neck and headstock constructed out of recycled wood. I only used the tools in the classroom to construct the guitar  - saws, files wood glue, band saws etc. However, I did buy tuning mechanism instead of making/finding them myself, as I wanted to make a playable guitar - most of the possible "solutions" I found were not suitable and would not have produced a playable instrument.

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With proper tuning mechanisms and a bridge, the strings are close enough to the neck that it can be pressed down and strummed. When properly tuned, it can play chords and individual notes. Unfortunately, I had to shorten the neck significantly, as I needed to sacrifice it's tip so that it can be attached to the headstock. During the tuning process, I did break a string, as I was too rigorous. However, I do believe it would not break if I am careful. Because of this, I will not be able to play 3 octaves - and can only play 2. I was able to play "more than words", a song that combined chords, plucking, strumming and fingerstyle, fulfilling the "playing" specifications in this column. I am fairly certain that this guitar can play multiple genres, with it being able to play most "skills", although I have not tried.

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The form of the guitar does fit comfortably on the lap of the user, with an adequately long neck, and large body. The strings of the guitar are also close enough to the neck that it can be played, with a proper bridge and pin bridge. With a proper body, which once belonged to a proper guitar, it is easily recognizable.

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- Out of the 23 students who did my survey, 21 students rated it's recognizability 10/10, with the reasoning behind these rating being that there is already a well built guitar body (that was reused). This means I have no improvements that have to be made in terms of recognizability. A side comment some of the surveyors made was to color the headstock, so it would not be mistakened as part of the neck.

- My guitar instructor was able to play more than words on the guitar that I built. According to him, tones were able to be reached and played. However, some of them were a bit scratchy. This was primarily because the strings touches the wood on the headstock. In order to avoid this in the future, I would have to file against the bottom side of the peg rectangles : so that the string won't touch the wood.

- Mr.Jia Qi was impressed by the connection between the headstock and neck, an idea thought of by Mr.Donnelly. However, he stated that the connection between the neck and the guitar was too poor, as the bracket places strain on the neck. An alternative to this would be to place a truss (metal) rod inside the neck itself and through the body, connecting it and the body sturdily.

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Personal improvements - based on specification evaluation

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Personal improvements - based on specification evaluation

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- Instead of buying new fret-wire, I will try to obtain secondhand wire from old guitars or from guitar shops. This is so that all the materials I use will be acquired at no charge.
- Instead of buying new tuning pegs, I will try to obtain secondhand pegs from old guitars or from guitar shops. This is so that all the materials I use will be acquired at no charge.
- Making the neck 10cm longer so that it would be able to play 3 octaves instead of 2. The extra 10cm will be used to create a groove to jam the headstock into.
- Spending my time more efficiently in class eg. while waiting for something to dry, I can work on developing another part of the guitar. This is so I will be able to complete the guitar in 12 lessons.

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I will consult Mr.Jia Qi, a guitar builder on the overall sustainability of the design. This will be primarily focused on the connections between the headstock, bridge and body. He will give me feedback on how to improve my guitar based on what he sees.

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I will ask my guitar instructor to play "more than words", a song that combines both fingerstyle and chord formations, and dual notes. In addition, I will also ask him to play various riffs from different genres

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I will create a survey on surveymonkey.com, on which surveyors (students in my class) would rate my guitar's recognizability on a scale of 1-10 (how closely it resembles a guitar). An image of my guitar will be attached to the survey.

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The connection piece between the previous neck and guitar was severed off, so I had to attatch the neck to the guitar with brackets and glue instead.

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Clamping two pieces of wood attatched with wood glue

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Clamping two pieces of wood attatched with wood glue

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I could not connect the headstock and the neck as gluing them together would simply be too loose. Instead, I cut out a wedge using a band saw at the end of a neck and stuffed it into the headstock. This significantly shortened the neck, but made the connection strong and sturdy.

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This video shows my preferred method for restringing a classical guitar. I'm using D'Addario Pro Arté Classical Guitar EJ45 Normal Tension Silverplated Wound Clear Nylon strings. Note: I loop the three higher pitched strings (1st, 2nd, 3rd) three times rather than two times on the bridge.

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- Measure out a 5x0.5 cm piece of thin wood
- Sketch string grooves lightly
- Scratch in grooves using penknife

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- Drill holes for the screws holding the tuning peg on the headstock
- Screw holes into headstock

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- Mark 0.5 diameter holes on side of headstock to place tuning pegs in
- Drill using 0.5 drillbit

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- Mark out 10x5 cm rectangles on headstock
- Cut out using bandsaw (cutting off the headstock head)
-  Sand insides of peg boxes
- Reattach headstock head with plywood glue

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- Find fret wire of appropriate length to insert into fret grooves.
- Squeeze glue into grooves
- Place and stuff fret wire into grooves
- Allow to dry for 24 hrs.

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- Used rip saw
- Outlined fret grooves
- Roughly sawed along those lines

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- Outline based on original proportions of model guitar
- Cut out with bandsaw

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- Cut wedge in neck
- Stuff neck and headstock together
- Attatch glue and saw dust to seal together
- Allow to dry for 24 hrs

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Sticking the fretboard and neck together

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Sticking the fretboard and neck together

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- Apply wood glue to the base of the neck.
- Place fretboard onto base of neck
- Clamp fretboard and neck tightly together
- After drying for 24 hours, disk sand edges

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- Outlining the neck and fretboard on wood based on previous neck's proportions
- Cut out roughly with ripsaw
- Hard cuts cut with bandsaw
- Smoothened with file

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Finding the wood required for headstock and neck

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Finding the wood required for headstock and neck

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- 1 thin, long piece of wood for neck
- 1 short, thin piece of wood for headstock
- 1 extremly thin piece of wood for bridge

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- 1 recycled guitar body
- 1 strap of recycled cloth (at least 6 cm in width and 1m in length)
- 3 blocks of long wood planks
- 2 sets of old tuning machines
- 13 thin, metal bars
- 2 large pins
- 1 set of new guitar strings

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I chose the guitar as my final design because of it is complex yet simple recyclable instrument that I can create with available materials in due time. All the materials required for the guitar are readily available : planks of recycled wood, an old guitar body and a few sets of tuning machines. This allowed it to fulfill many design specifications. In terms of form, the instrument could be carried around (with a strap) and could be sat comfortably in one's lap (a lap curve fits nicely on laps). I will create an identical neck to the body's former neck. The width of this former neck is able to be grasped by the average human hand. The guitar should be able to play 3 octaves, as the neck is long enough to do so. With a tuning mechanism, the guitar should also be tunable. By pressing on individual or multiple strings, chords and individual notes can be played. With this, multiple genres can be played. As stated before, this guitar would be created from recycled materials : old wood, guitar parts and string. This can be assembled in the classroom, as all tools (drills, power saw) are readily available. Because of the guitar's body, it should be able to be recognized. I will also try to make the frets, neck and body all different colors to make the parts be more easily identified. This guitar should be able to be completed in 6 weeks, as all that has to be done is to assemble and connect pre-made parts. This will not take long, as I do not have to make any parts. Painting is also a fast job, as I am not drawing intricate patterns on my guitar - just several large bodies of color. The guitar will also have 2 strap pins, allowing me to hang recycled cloth on them to create a strap. Because it is hollow, the guitar is relatively light, and can be strapped and carried around easily. As stated before, I will make the guitar neck identical to the body's previous neck, so as to ensure user comfort and ergonomics. This includes making sure the fret space is not excessively long and the strings are close enough to the neck to be pressed. It should be able to last for a fairly long period of time, as the wood I am using is still very sturdy, and the body is not broken yet. The construction of this guitar should be able to challenge my skills, as I have never used a power saw and drill before.

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11.1 The instrument should fit comfortably in a user's lap
11.2 The neck should be easy to grasp by a normal human hand
11.3 The length between the frets should be short enough to allow the user to place 3 fingers at once
11.4 The strings should be pressed as close to the neck as possible to create tone , to ensure that the user would not have to press down too hard
11.5 The depth of the neck should be thick enough so that the user could be able to maintain a hard grip

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10.1 The instruments should be constructed using tools and equipment available in the school workshop
10.2 The instrument should be manufactured and assembled by me

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9.1 The instrument should have a strap around it so that it could be hung around a user's back. This would allow the user to stand up to play the instrument
9.2 The instrument should be lightweight so that it could be carried around easily
9.3 The instrument should be able to be identified as a guitar

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8.1 The time allowed for this project in design class is 12 lessons
8.2 Thursday would be dedicated to the assembly of the instrument
8.3 Fridays would be dedicated to polishing, sanding and painting the instrument

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7.1 The target market for this product will be migrant children in Suzhou , aged 10-17, who do not have access to instruments
7.2 This instrument should be aimed for children benefiting from the "cresendo project"

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6.1 The frets should not scrape the user's hand when held
6.2 The neck should be smooth so that the user's hand would not get splintered
6.3 The edges of the instruments should be smooth so that the user would not get poked

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5.1 The instrument should be able to be identified as the instrument it is
5.2 The body, neck and frets should be different colors so that they could be easily identified

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4.1 The instrument should be made from durable and safe materials
4.2 The materials should be easily accessible and acquired
4.3 The materials should be recycled and secondhand

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3.1 The main components of the instruments should be constructed from recycled materials
3.2 The instrument should be made in a classroom and should not require extra tools that would cost
3.3 All materials required should be available and acquired for no charge

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2.1 The instrument should be able to play a range of 3 octaves
2.2 The instrument should be stringed and tunable
2.3 Chords should be able to be played on the instrument
2.5 The instrument should be able to play individual notes and dual notes
2.6 The instrument should be able to play multiple generes, particularly blues, pop and rock
2.7 The user of the instrument should be able to play finger-style on it.

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1.1  The form of the instrument should be able to be carried around
1.2 The form of the instrument should be able to be sat on a lap
1.3 The form of the instrument should have a curve inside the body so that it can be sat on a lap
1.4 The width of the neck of the instrument should be short enough to be able to be grasped by the average human hand
1.5 The length of the body of the instrument should not exceed 5/3 of the average man's waist length

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To ensure the success of my acoustic guitar, I will have other students and teachers evaluate the guitar using a survey (playability, ergonomics, handleability) . I will also calculate the price and form a survey on whether  the guitar would be placed at a reasonable price for it's purpose. My research has shown me that a successful guitar can not only be easy to play and manageable , but is also versatile and easy to carry around.

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The major constraints for this project would be obtaining the skills and materials required for the creation of this guitar - I have never used the tools required to create an acoustic guitar. Furthermore, finding spare wood and a large metal tin lying around would not be easy. The quality of the strings and metal tin are also integral in creating a acoustic guitar that is not only playable, but also reverberates. Therefore, all tools are available in the design room but not all materials will be. This means that I might have to substitute some of these materials for others. My research has told me that with the right materials, creating a guitar would be fairly easy.

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Secondary Information

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This product is created for impoverished, underprivileged children who can't afford a normal musical instrument. This instrument would appeal to those children who desire to play music, as they  don't have access to the luxury of a proper musical instrument. The guitar would appeal to them more than any other instrument would, because of it's versatility and user-friendly structure. As stated in Ai, all children deserve the right to play and enjoy music / or develop a talent of interest, regardless of affluence, status or financial state. The primary concern to keep in mind when creating this guitar is it's user friendly structure - it should be fairly easy to carry around, with a low neck and flat strings. My research has told me that even unprivileged children desire a pastime and a passion - of which a guitar can fulfill.

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A djembe or jembe ( JEM-bay ; from Malinke jembe ) is a rope-tuned skin-covered goblet drum played with bare hands, originally from West Africa. According to the Bambara people in Mali, the name of the djembe comes from the saying "Anke djé, anke bé" which translates to "everyone gather together in peace" and defines the drum's purpose.

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This instrument is made out of a hollow wood structure, with the drum head made of stretched fabric. Aesthetically, this drum looks appealing, with a bright, vibrant red and black body and yellow strips of string to contrast against the red body. Traditionally, Djembes have an echo -like, hollow, sound that reverberates. However, the sound this drum produces are stark and empty. In addition, it is too small to be clipped between a knee to be played. In my opinion, this instrument would be targeted at young children who want to "play". The materials required to create this Djembe can be found in the design room and are easily accessible. On the other hand, I like how the djembe has a strap that can be hung on someone's shoulder.

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To design a playable, practical and easily operated acoustic guitar using recycled and common materials, so that impoverished children can afford to play and enjoy music. My secondary research has told me that it would be best to create a guitar, as it is a highly versatile instrument, capable of playing multiple music genres, with fingerstyle and playing chords. In addition to this, I have found that a good guitar would require a large, hollow body and long neck and a thigh rest (for ergonomics). From my primary research, I have found out that a guitar is a relatively easy instrument - as soon as you get your grip on the neck right, chords and individual notes will be extremely easy to play. However, I would not include a high neck, as this would result in less efficient playing (strings will be too hard to press down on, like the uke).

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The tone and volume of the instrument vary with size and construction. Ukuleles commonly come in four sizes: soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone.

Developed in the 1880s, the ukulele is based on several small, guitar-like instruments of Portuguese origin, the , cavaquinho, , and , introduced to the Hawaiian Islands by Portuguese immigrants from Madeira, the Azores and Cape Verde. Three immigrants in particular, Madeiran cabinet makers Manuel Nunes, José do Espírito Santo, and Augusto Dias, are generally credited as the first ukulele makers. Two weeks after they disembarked from the SS Ravenscrag in late August 1879, the Hawaiian Gazette reported that "Madeira Islanders recently arrived here, have been delighting the people with nightly street concerts."

One of the most important factors in establishing the ukulele in Hawaiian music and culture was the ardent support and promotion of the instrument by King Kalākaua. A patron of the arts, he incorporated it into performances at royal gatherings.

In the Hawaiian language the word ukulele roughly translates as "jumping flea", perhaps because of the movement of the player's fingers. Legend attributes it to the nickname of Englishman Edward William Purvis, one of King Kalākaua's officers, because of his small size, fidgety manner, and playing expertise. One of the earliest appearances of the word ukulele in print (in the sense of a stringed instrument) is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Catalogue of the Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments of All Nations published in 1907. The catalog describes two ukuleles from Hawaii-one that is similar in size to a modern soprano ukulele, and one that is similar to a tenor (see § Types and sizes).

In the 1960s, educator J. Chalmers Doane dramatically changed school music programs across Canada, using the ukulele as an inexpensive and practical teaching instrument to foster musical literacy in the classroom. At its peak, 50,000 schoolchildren and adults learned the ukulele through the Doane program. "Ukulele in the Classroom", a revised program created by James Hill and Doane in 2008 is a staple of music education in Canada.

The ukulele arrived in Japan in 1929 after Hawaiian-born Yukihiko Haida returned to the country upon his father's death and introduced the instrument. Haida and his brother Katsuhiko formed the Moana Glee Club, enjoying rapid success in an environment of growing enthusiasm for Western popular music, particularly Hawaiian and jazz. During World War II, authorities banned most music from the West, but fans and players kept it alive in secret, and it resumed popularity after the war. In 1959, Haida founded the Nihon Ukulele Association. Today, Japan is considered a second home for Hawaiian musicians and ukulele virtuosos.

British singer and comedian George Formby was a ukulele player, though he often played a banjolele, a hybrid instrument consisting of an extended ukulele neck with a banjo resonator body. Demand surged in the new century because of its relative simplicity and portability. Another British ukulele player was Tony Award-winner Tessie O'Shea, who appeared in numerous movies and stage shows, and was twice on The Ed Sullivan Show, including the night The Beatles debuted in 1964. The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain tours globally, and the George Formby Society, established in 1961, continues to hold regular conventions.

George Harrison, Paul McCartney, and John Lennon all played the ukulele. Harrison, who was a Formby fan, was a great lover of the instrument and often gave them to friends, including Tom Petty, whom he taught to play it.

Pre-World War II

The ukulele was popularized for a stateside audience during the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, held from spring to autumn of 1915 in San Francisco. The Hawaiian Pavilion featured a guitar and ukulele ensemble, George E. K. Awai and his Royal Hawaiian Quartet, along with ukulele maker and player Jonah Kumalae. The popularity of the ensemble with visitors launched a fad for Hawaiian-themed songs among Tin Pan Alley songwriters. The ensemble also introduced both the lap steel guitar and the ukulele into U.S. mainland popular music, where it was taken up by vaudeville performers such as Roy Smeck and Cliff "Ukulele Ike" Edwards. On April 15, 1923, at the Rivoli Theater in New York City, Smeck appeared, playing the ukulele, in Stringed Harmony, a short film made in the DeForest Phonofilm sound-on-film process. On August 6, 1926, Smeck appeared playing the ukulele in a short film His Pastimes, made in the Vitaphone sound-on-disc process, shown with the feature film starring John Barrymore.

The ukulele soon became an icon of the Jazz Age. Like guitar, basic ukulele skills can be learned fairly easily, and this highly portable, relatively inexpensive instrument was popular with amateur players throughout the 1920s, as evidenced by the introduction of uke chord tablature into the published sheet music for popular songs of the time (a role that was supplanted by the guitar in the early years of rock and roll). A number of mainland-based stringed-instrument manufacturers, among them Regal, Harmony, and especially Martin, added ukulele, banjolele, and tiple lines to their production to take advantage of the demand.

The ukulele also made inroads into early country music or old-time music parallel to the then-popular mandolin. It was played by Jimmie Rodgers and Ernest V. Stoneman, as well as by early string bands, including Cowan Powers and his Family Band, Da Costa Woltz's Southern Broadcasters, Walter Smith and Friends, The Blankenship Family, The Hillbillies, and The Hilltop Singers.

Post-World War II

From the late 1940s to the late 1960s, plastics manufacturer Mario Maccaferri turned out about 9 million inexpensive ukuleles. The ukulele remained popular, appearing in many jazz songs throughout the 1950s, '60s, and '70s. Much of the instrument's popularity (particularly the baritone size) was cultivated by Arthur Godfrey on The Arthur Godfrey Show on television. Singer-musician Tiny Tim became closely associated with the instrument after playing it on his 1968 hit " Tiptoe Through the Tulips".

Post-1990 revival

After the 1960s, the ukulele declined in popularity until the late 1990s, when interest in the instrument reawakened. During the 1990s, new manufacturers began producing ukuleles and a new generation of musicians took up the instrument. Jim Beloff set out to promote the instrument in the early 1990s and created over two dozen ukulele music books featuring modern music and classic ukulele pieces.

All-time best-selling Hawaiian musician Israel Kamakawiwo'ole helped repopularize the instrument, in particular with his 1993 reggae-rhythmed medley of " Over the Rainbow" and " What a Wonderful World", used in films, television programs, and commercials. The song reached number 12 on Billboard's Hot Digital Tracks chart the week of January 31, 2004.

The creation of YouTube helped revive the popularity of the ukulele. One of the first videos to go viral was Jake Shimabukuro's ukulele rendition of George Harrison's " While My Guitar Gently Weeps". The video quickly went viral, and as of September 2020, had received over 17 million views.

The ukulele is generally made of wood, though variants have been composed partially or entirely of plastic or other materials. Cheaper ukuleles are generally made from plywood or laminated woods, in some cases with a soundboard of a tonewood such as spruce. More expensive ukuleles are made of solid hardwoods such as mahogany. The traditionally preferred wood for ukuleles is a type of acacia endemic to Hawaii, called .

Typically, ukuleles have a figure-eight body shape similar to that of a small acoustic guitar. They are also often seen in nonstandard shapes, such as cutaway and oval, usually called a "pineapple" ukulele (see image below), invented by the Kamaka Ukulele company, or a boat-paddle shape, and occasionally a square shape, often made out of an old wooden cigar box.

These instruments usually have four strings; some strings may be paired in courses, giving the instrument a total of six or eight strings (primarily for greater strumming volume.) The strings themselves were originally made of catgut. Modern ukuleles use strings made from nylon polymers, synthetic gut, or fluorocarbon or wound strings composed of a (typically) nylon core wound with metal or polymers, including aluminium and silver-plated copper.

Instruments with six or eight strings in four courses are often called taropatches, or taropatch ukuleles. They were once common in the concert size, but now the tenor size is more common for six-string taropatch ukuleles. The six-string, four-course version, has two single and two double courses, and is sometimes called a lili'u, though this name also applies to the eight-string version. Eight-string baritone taropatches exist, and 5-string tenors have also been made.

Common types of ukuleles include soprano (standard ukulele), concert, tenor, and baritone. Less common are the sopranino (also called piccolo, bambino, or "pocket uke"), bass, and contrabass ukuleles. Other types of ukuleles include banjo ukuleles and electric ukuleles. Of the standard ukuleles, the soprano, often called "standard" in Hawaii, is the second smallest and was the original size. The concert size was developed in the 1920s as an enhanced soprano, slightly larger and louder with a deeper tone. Shortly thereafter, the tenor was created, having more volume and a deeper bass tone. The baritone (resembling a smaller tenor guitar) was created in the 1940s, and the contrabass and bass are recent innovations (2010 and 2014, respectively).

The following chart shows the range of notes of standard ukulele types. Note that the range varies with the tuning and size of the instruments. The examples shown in the chart reflect the range of each instrument from the lowest standard tuning to the highest fret in the highest standard tuning. Additionally, the contrabass below aligns with the bass in the above table.

One of the most common tunings for the standard or soprano ukulele is tuning: G 4-C 4-E 4-A 4, which is often remembered by the notes in the "My dog has fleas" jingle (see sidebar). The G string is tuned an octave higher than might be expected, so this is often called "high G" tuning. This is known as a " reentrant tuning"; it enables uniquely close-harmony chording.

The table below shows a pitch's name found over the four strings of a ukulele in standard tuning, from the nut (zero) to the fifteenth fret.

More rarely used with the soprano ukulele is C 6 linear tuning, or "low G" tuning, which has the G in sequence an octave lower: G 3-C 4-E 4-A 4, which is equivalent to playing the top four strings (DGBE) of a guitar with a capo on the fifth fret.

Another common tuning for the soprano ukulele is the higher string-tension D 6 tuning (or simply D tuning), A 4-D 4-F 4-B 4, one step higher than the G 4-C 4-E 4-A 4 tuning. Once considered standard, this tuning was commonly used during the Hawaiian music boom of the early 20th century, and is often seen in sheet music from this period, as well as in many method books through the 1980s. D 6 tuning is said by some[by whom? ] to bring out a sweeter tone in some ukuleles, generally smaller ones. D 6 tuning with a low fourth string, A 3-D 4-F 4-B 4, is sometimes called "Canadian tuning" after its use in the Canadian school system, mostly on concert or tenor ukuleles, and extensive use by James Hill and J. Chalmers Doane.

Whether C 6 or D 6 tuning should be the "standard" tuning is a matter of long and ongoing debate. There are historic and popular ukulele methods that have used each.

For the concert and tenor ukuleles, both reentrant and linear C 6 tunings are standard; linear tuning in particular is widely used for the tenor ukulele, more so than for the soprano and concert instruments.

The baritone ukulele usually uses linear G 6 tuning: D 3-G 3-B 3-E 4, the same as the highest four strings of a standard 6-string guitar.

Bass ukuleles are tuned similarly to the bass guitar and double bass: E 1-A 1-D 2-G 2 for U-Bass style instruments (sometimes called contrabass), or an octave higher, E 2-A 2-D 3-G 3, for Ohana type metal-string basses.

Sopranino ukulele tuning is less standardized. They are usually tuned re-entrant, but frequently at a higher pitch than C; for example, re-entrant G 6 tuning: D 5-G 4-B 4-E 5.

As is commonly the case with string instruments, other tunings may be preferred by individual players. For example, special string sets are available to tune the baritone ukulele in linear C 6. Some players tune ukuleles like other four-string instruments such as the mandolin, Venezuelan cuatro, or dotara. Ukuleles may also be tuned to open tunings, similar to the Hawaiian slack key style.

Ukulele varieties include hybrid instruments such as the guitalele (also called guitarlele), banjo ukulele (also called banjolele), harp ukulele, lap steel ukulele, and the ukelin. It is very common to find ukuleles mixed with other stringed instruments because of the number of strings and the easy playing ability. There is also an electrically amplified variant of the ukulele. The resonator ukulele produces sound by one or more spun aluminum cones ( resonators) instead of the wooden soundboard, giving it a distinct and louder tone. The Tahitian ukulele, another variant, is usually carved from a single piece of wood, and does not have a hollow soundbox, although the back is open. The Tahitian ukulele generally has eight strings made from fishing line, tuned the same as a Hawaiian ukulele in four courses, although the middle two courses are an octave higher than its Hawaiian cousin. Inspired by the Tahitian ukulele, there is the Motu Nui variant, from France, which has just four strings made from fishing line and the hole in the back is designed to produce a wah-wah effect.[citation needed ] Mario Maccaferri invented an automatic chording device for the ukulele, called Chord Master.

Close cousins of the ukulele include the Portuguese forerunners, the cavaquinho (also commonly known as machete or braguinha) and the slightly larger . Other relatives include the Venezuelan cuatro, the Colombian , the of the Canary Islands, the Spanish , the Mexican requinto jarocho, and the Andean traditionally made of an armadillo shell. In Indonesia, a similar Portuguese-inspired instrument is the kroncong.

Beloff, Jim (2003) [1997]. The Ukulele: A Visual History (Revised & Expanded ed.). San Francisco: Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-758-5.

Tranquada, Jim; King, John (2012). The Ukulele: A History. Honolulu, Hawaii: University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-3634-4.

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The tone and volume of the instrument vary with size and construction. Ukuleles commonly come in four sizes: soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone. Developed in the 1880s, the ukulele is based on several small, guitar-like instruments of Portuguese origin, the , cavaquinho , , and , introduced to the Hawaiian Islands by Portuguese immigrants from Madeira, the Azores and Cape Verde.

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The ukulele is made from recycled materials - with recycled nails to replace frets, a coffin tin for the body and recycled wood for the neck and head. Much like the cello, sound is produced when the vibrating strings are amplified and reverberated by the hollow space in the coffee tin. This product is cheap to produce, as all materials and tools required are accessible free of charge. As all materials are recycled, this product is environmentally friendly . Aesthetically, the ukulele does not look too pleasing, especially with the nails sticking out on the neck. The Uke does not function properly, as the head is elevated too much from the bridge, therefore making it hard to press down - therefore, no notes can be played. This uke might be dangerous - as one might scrape his skin on the nails sticking out of the neck. In terms of form factor, it is just the right size to be held by a child, although a strap will be ideal to assist him/her in holding it up. This product seems to be just be for display - as it can't be played.

In my product, I would like to manufacture a product of this size , but I would prefer it to be playable.

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What recycled materials should I use to substitute the actual materials used to manufacture a guitar?

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What recycled materials should I use to substitute the actual materials used to manufacture a guitar?

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Primary - Mr.Donnelly
Secondary - Websites

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For some guitar lovers out there, building a whole guitar from scratch might not be that difficult. But what's even cooler is to do it reusing discarded materials like old oil cans, cigar boxes, wires, wood, metal, skateboards and even thin air. Yes, creative minds have used all these items to make their own personalized, recycled guitars.

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Secondary - Websites
Primary - Music Instructors

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HP Newquist, Executive Director and Founder of the National GUITAR Museum and Prabir Mehta, guitarist for local rock and roll band Goldrush, are both passionate about guitars. I had the opportunity to talk with them recently about the guitar's history and engineering while visiting the exhibition "GUITAR: The Instrument that Rocked the World" at the Science Museum of Virginia. This is a great exhibition to visit over the holidays for it runs through January 6, 2013. Watch the Science Matters video featuring Newquist and Mehta sharing their thoughts about the world's most popular instrument.
HP Newquist talks about the science and sound of the guitar:
Structural engineering
"There's a lot more to a guitar than simply a box that has some wires on top of it. The design of the acoustic guitar involves technical and structural engineering and specifications that require a lot of bracing. This is because an acoustic guitar is a wooden box that's held together only with glue and has strings that run across the top of it. Those strings can exert as much as 200 lbs. of pull. And yet, the wooden box that's as thin as a Popsicle stick has to withstand all of that pull."

Strings, woods and their sounds
"Throughout history there have been 3 kinds of strings used for the guitar. Originally cat gut- which is actually sheep intestines was the first kind of string. Then Nylon which is plastic, then metal strings. Each of these produces a specific and unique sound. Cat gut has a soft and pleasant sound. Nylon that was used in the 1930s and 1940s when plastic became popular was a little louder. Finally, we have metal strings which are much louder because they vibrate the soundboard much more.

Strings by themselves don't make very much noise. You can find that out by pulling a rubber band apart and tweaking it. You will hear a little bit of sound, but not very much. The same thing applies to the strings on a guitar. In order to amplify the sound on an acoustic guitar there is a soundboard on top and as that vibrates it projects sound out into the air. The more vibrations the louder the guitar becomes. Also depending on what the soundboard is made of - spruce, maple, etc. - it resonates differently. Each element of the guitar produces a different kind of sound.

Historically, acoustic guitars have been made of Spruce and Brazilian Rosewood. But Brazilian Rosewood is an endangered wood species and it can't be brought into America any more. We are now looking at things like carbon fiber to take the place of that kind of wood which resonates very nicely on the sides and backs of the guitar. For electric guitars - the sky's the limit - Mahogany, Maple, all kinds of different woods and materials like acrylic and aluminum. We even have a guitar in the exhibition that is made using a 3-D printer."

Evolution of the Electric Guitar - Make it Louder!
"The history and evolution of the guitar is in many ways the history of trying to make the instrument louder. Guitars were built bigger in size, but thinner wood was used to increase the vibrations. Still by the time the 1900's rolled around, the guitarists in bands weren't able to hear themselves over horns, trumpets, drums, and pianos. So the desire to create a guitar that would actually be as loud as, or in many cases louder than, these instruments drove the creation of the electric guitar.

At first, guitarists used horns and modified cones around the guitar itself to amplify the sound. Beginning in the 1930's, inventors used electricity to amplify the strings themselves with the assistance of a magnetic pickup.

The electric guitar works on a very simple electromagnetic principle. Metal strings - and they must to be metal, not plastic - vibrate above a pickup, which is a magnet wound with copper wire. The vibrations cause a disturbance in the magnetic field around the pickup. These disturbances are transmitted to an amplifier as electric signals. The entire process results in sound coming out of amplified speakers. When this happens, the guitar becomes one of the loudest devices ever created."

Who do you consider to be the most famous inventor of the guitar?
"Perhaps the most famous inventor in electric guitar circles is Leo Fender, whose name graces the most famous guitars in the world- the Telecaster and the Stratocaster.

One thing that most people don't know about Leo is that he was a radio repairman. And even though he invented a guitar that's considered a staple of players all around the world, he never learned how to play or tune one."

What's next for The National GUITAR Museum?
"The plan is to tour the country for the next several years and at the end of those years look back at the differenct cities we've been to and decide which one would be the best place for a permanent home of the National GUITAR Museum."

Want to know more about the band Goldrush?
Goldrush is a four piece rock and roll band made up of acoustic instruments - a violin, a contrabass,a drum set and a guitar. Their music is a fusion of classical orchestral instruments with contemporary instruments. The band members include Treesa Gold on the violin, Matt Gold on the contrabass, Greg Butler on drums, and Prabir Mehta on guitar. I asked Prabir to tell me about what inspired him to pick up that first guitar? He shared that it was hearing Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son" for the first time as a young child when he moved to the U.S. "When I heard that guitar come in for the first time - every hair on my body just stood up. It's kind of cool as a listener to be able to get that kind of feeling out of a guitar and as a performer to try to play well enough so that response can happen to someone else."

Prabir, what do you think the guitar of the future will be like?
"In the future - guitars may be without strings or they may have even more strings. The weight of the guitar and the materials could change. It just depends on what purpose needs to be filled."

What do you think the guitar of the future will be like? How will science continue to play a role in its evolution? I can't wait to find out.

To learn more about "GUITAR: The Instrument that Rocked the World" go to the Science Museum of Virginia.

Article by Debbie Mickle, Science Matters Project Manager

Discover more stories like this at Science Matters and Like us on Facebook.

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HP Newquist, Executive Director and Founder of the National GUITAR Museum and Prabir Mehta, guitarist for local rock and roll band Goldrush, are both passionate about guitars. I had the opportunity to talk with them recently about the guitar’s history and engineering while visiting the exhibition “GUITAR: The Instrument that Rocked the World” at the Science Museum of Virginia.

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The Cello is a bowed string instrument that resembles an enlarged violin, but with a larger hollow area and thicker strings. This results in a much deeper and richer tone than the violin. This cello is constructed of wood and has thick, large , hollow body -- amplifying the vibrations created when a string is pulled.  The strings on the cello appear to be made from aluminum. In addition to the wood body and strings, the pegs, neck and other wood components are carved from pieces of maple. Sound occurs when the plucking or bowing of the strings triggers vibrations in the air, which then resonate through the body of the cello and exit through the f holes on the body of the cello. Overall, the physics of a cello can be easily replicated using recycled materials - therefore benefiting those who can't afford one.

This cello gives off a classical/baroque vibe due to the overall design of the cello, which hasn't evolved much since the 1600's. It is heavy duty and hard to carry around, as it is a large instrument . Cellos are relatively expensive, ranging from $1000-$5000. This is as cellos are carved out of single blocks of high quality wood, usually maple, with strings wound from metal (This is also environmentally harmful, as large amounts of wood are lumberjacked to manufacture cellos). This is a heavy burden for poor families, and can bring an entire family down. On the other hand, cellos are highly versatile - being able to be plucked and bowed , with a large pitch range. This creates a large target market for cellos, with musicians across various genres (classical - contemporary.)

I would like to produce an instrument of high versatility like the cello, as this will be beneficial for poorer children who would like to experiment with different genres of music. However, Cellos are large and heavy - this would be hard to lug around slums. In addition to this, I only have access to limited materials, of which would be quite small and insufficient to create a cello.

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How can I create instruments that I can tune

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How can I create instruments that I can tune

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Secondary information

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How to Change Guitar Strings. Changing guitar strings is really not a complicated task, but it is for some reason intimidating to new guitarists. Intimidating or not, it is an easily-acquired skill that any guitarist should have. (Note:...

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What tools will I use to construct my instrument and how will I use them ?

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What tools will I use to construct my instrument and how will I use them ?

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Primary - Mr.Donnelly

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How to Build Your Own Guitar : Required Tools for Building a Guitar

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A band saw, spindle sander and a handheld router are some Important tools required for building your own guitar in this free guitar-building building video taught by an expert guitar craftsman. Expert: Frank Pope Bio: Frank Pope, founder of FBI Guitars, been building guitars for more than 10 years and has constructed more than 30 finished products.

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Secondary information
Primary - music instructors, Mr.Donnelly

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How guitar is made - manufacture, making, history, used, parts, product, industry, machine

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References to guitar-like instruments date back many centuries, and virtually every society throughout history has been found to have used a variation of the instrument. The forerunner of today's guitars were single-string bows developed during early human history. In sections of Asia and Africa, bows of this type have been unearthed in archaeological digs of ancient civilizations.

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What kind of instrument should I build and why?

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What kind of instrument should I build and why?

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Primary - preference, target audience

Secondary information

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Learning to play an instrument is one of the coolest things you'll ever do. Whether you're just starting out in school, decided you wanted to play in a band, or have decided to learn to play music now that the kids have grown, it's a fun...

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What materials could be useful to produce an instrument that produces sound. 

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What materials could be useful to produce an instrument that produces sound. 

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Primary information -

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The Science of Sound: Examining the Role ofMaterials in Musical Instruments

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This is unfair to the children who reside in such conditions, as all children deserve the chance to play and enjoy music / or develop a talent of interest, regardless of affluence, status or financial state. It is also unfair to the entire community as a whole - if a child acquires a skill that is worth money, they could help their families break out of the poverty cycle that has kept them in the slums.

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People throw away impetuously and impulsively - without considering the true value of the "trash" and what they can do . Recycled and repurposed, trash can cultivate skills and objects of much greater value.

Impoverished families do not have the opportunity and resources to afford a musical education (instruments). In poorer and less privileged communities, this is common as money is often prioritized to purchase basic necessities. As an example, a violin is, on average worth a house in a Paraguayan slum.