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MMD > Archives > March 1999 > 1999.03.10 > 03Prev  Next


Structural Resonance In Organ Pipes
By Robbie Rhodes

Joyce Brite teased me with some unusual words, including these
derivatives from the Greek stem 'xylo-', pertaining to wood:

  xyloid = like wood, having the nature of wood
  xylology = study of the structure of wood.
  xylometer = an instrument which measures the specific gravity of wood

My 7 kg dictionary of 1927 gives two meanings for xylophone:

 "1. An instrument consisting of a series of graduated wooden bars ...
  2. An instrument to determine the vibrative properties of different
  kinds of wood."

Much has been written about the wood for violins and guitars and for
the sounding boards of the piano and music box.  Brian Thornton wrote
that the Welte-style pipes he made "came to life" when built of rela-
tively thin wood salvaged from an old piano sounding board.  This
strongly suggests that the body of the wood pipe is itself vibrating,
and probably at a structural resonance.

Has anyone heard of measurements by the xylophone (#2, the measuring
instrument) which relate to the properties of organ pipe wood?  Do
studies exist about structural resonance in organ pipes?

Robbie Rhodes


(Message sent Thu 11 Mar 1999, 04:16:00 GMT, from time zone GMT-0800.)

Key Words in Subject:  Organ, Pipes, Resonance, Structural

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