Failure is the Key to Success

My Tweets for the week 2011-10-09

by Ian Posted on October 9, 2011

RT @SyfyUK: @ijhedges We currently don't have any plans to show Sanctuary Season 4, but watch the Syfy skies and you never know! – Maybe ? #
Just listening to Red Priest on their website http://t.co/qJeXlICA If I can ever play a fraction as well as Piers Adams, I'll be happy. #
The Royal British Legion celebrates its 90th anniversary this year. http://http://bit.ly/ptnCG6 They aim to raise £90m this year #poppy #
Last episode of #Eureka Season 4 starting on @SyfyUK in 10 minutes #
OK, where'd they go? #Eureka Why did they have to cancel it. #
BBC News – Venomous spider's nest found in Buckinghamshire garden http://t.co/6QcU8g3V – They can keep them in Bletchley thank you! #
Just been watching @EmilySmithmusic on @youtube — Butterfly – California.mov http://t.co/XS8TBH7j Love it – so relaxed. #
And then @EmilySmithmusic at the Cambridge Folk Festival — Emily Smith – Sweet Lover of Mine. Cambridge Folk Festival http://t.co/RrYrnklw #
Shame I can't find any video of @EmilySmithmusic singing my favourite song, Old Mortality. I'll just have to put the Too Long Away album on #
Listening to @EmilySmithmusic with my daughter singing along. Have to take the kids next time we see Emily and @JamieMcClennan #
The pastries I brought home from work, we had a Big Brew Up for @SSAFAForcesHelp today, went down well with the kids.. and Jo. #bigbrewup #
Time for Who do you think you are. #
It's looking like the recorder group will be doing Little Drummer Boy at the end of term. They think they can't, but we managed it today. #
Viola practice done. Fingering and alto clef starting to make sense. Must practice bow hold more. #
That's better. New batteries and my mouse is live again. No warning it just stopped. #
Pre-ordered @refeist 's next book from @AmazonUK. A Crown Imperilled is due to be published 27th February. Been reading series since 1986. #

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My Tweets for the week 2011-10-02

by Ian Posted on October 2, 2011

BBC News – Google helps put Dead Sea Scrolls online http://t.co/cYe5iaI6 #
Just booked tickets for DAOS performance of Jesus Christ Superstar on 22nd October @Grovetheatre Dunstablehttp://bit.ly/nIRyZe #
Soundpost fitted, now onto the bridge. #
Bridge fitted, viola strung. It creaked and groaned as it came into tune. First notes…oooooh! It has volume and tone! Now to learn to play #
Watching second episode of #EducatingEssex #

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My Tweets for the week 2011-09-25

by Ian Posted on September 25, 2011

Transatlantic Sessions – Series 2 (complete) feat. John Martyn, Nan… by Musical Directors Aly Bain …finally avail http://t.co/52OqoX0y #
RT @AdobeSecurity: #Adobe #FlashPlayer #security update now available – see http://t.co/hB51NFjv for details – another update! #
Frustrated that a website I have been trying to use all week still isn't working despite being told its fine. Is anyone actually checking? #
Off to recorders soon. Hopefully it will all work out right today. #
I have just posted instructions on the Dunstable Music Centre website giving information how to enrol for this term. http://t.co/rrM82vjR #
Enrolled the four of us with Inspiring Music for Dunstable Music Centre http://t.co/rrM82vjR , my son for violin and daughter for flute. #
Couldn't work out why my bass recorder sounded burbley. Just replaced the broken spring on the C key. Much better sound and feel now. #
Music practice over, time for a beer. Oh look, I've just found a Hobgoblin to hand, I'd better drink it. #

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My Tweets for the week 2011-09-18

by Ian Posted on September 18, 2011

My 'Violin large size' from Ebay arrived today. It is a Stentor Elysia, just not a violin. I now have a 16 inch viola. Jo says it suits me. #
Ordered Chinese takeaway from Tong Sam in Dunstable for Jo's birthday, should be here soon. Opening the wine now. #
I think @NETGEAR is launching: The NeoTV200 & I want to win: A NeoTV200 #MysteryLaunch #
I think @NETGEAR is launching: The WNDR4500 router & I want to win: A WNDR4500 router #MysteryLaunch #

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My Tweets for the week 2011-09-11

by Ian Posted on September 11, 2011

Just realised the posts for the second half of our holiday are still in draft. Better release them now. #
Daughter's so excited this morning. She's starting a new school and has been looking forward to it all summer. #
Got a HB copy of the book 'The Marigold Line' by Charles Griffiths. Jo remembered it as a child and thought it would be nice to have a copy. #
Just checked both our cars are showing as insured on the Motor Insurance Database http://t.co/MTOTLx9 I knew they would be , but had to see #
BBC News – Downing Street staff stage fundraiser for Larry the cat http://t.co/YLY9cBp #
Settling down with a bottle of Wychwood Brewery Scarecrow golden pale ale and Thorntons extra dark chocolate. Emilia Fox on WDYTYA soon. #
I think @NETGEAR is launching a lightning fast dual band router & I want to win one #MysteryLaunch #
Off to teach the recorder group at my daughter's old lower school. Carrying on with the year 4 group this year. #
LOL, school told the parents that records wouldn't be on this week. Nice! I ended up building a flat pack kitchen for Acorn class. Blisters. #
After today's impromptu DIY session, I'm going to relax with a @Hobgoblin_beer . Might even have some chocolate as well. #
I really wish the members of Hope Church in Dunstable would use the school playground that is opened for them rather than fill Westfield Rd #

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Tuned Waste Pipe in C

by Ian Posted on September 5, 2011

A while back I started looking into how a recorder works and came across an article on the Physics of Music Instruments which explained the maths behind the hole sizes and positions.
The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to make my own recorder from scratch to prove I could. I could have started small, but I don’t do things like that. I realised that the inside diameter of my Woodnote bass recorder head was about 40mm (40.4mm) and the waste pipe I had used for making a support to carry my monopod on my bike was also 40mm (actually about 41mm outside diameter). In theory they could be made to fit together and so avoid making a headjoint for a while.

I put the two together and with a pipe about 1.9m long, I got a low note. On investigation, using a software tuner on my computer (Auto Tuner), I found that the note was only a couple of tones lower than my bass recorder, it was obviously a harmonic and reducing the pipe to about 94cm produced the note C3. Hmm, maybe this was not going to be a bass recorder, but a great bass.

I took the formulas from the website and entered them into an Excel spreadsheet so that I could calculate my own hole positions and sizes based on the frequencies needed and once I was sure it was about right, I set about drilling holes. I drilled each hole individually and undersize and then, using the tuner for guidance,opened them out with a needle file to bring up to frequency. After a few hours, I had a waste pipe that, by covering the holes with fingers or tape, would play from C3 to A4 on pitch. I will admit the low C was difficult to achieve without the harmonics forcing it up.

It was totally unplayable, as there was no practical way to reach all the holes, however, my daughter and I could play a scale between us. The next stage was to try making some keys. I picked up some brass rod and tube from B&Q and set about fashioning my own keys. The pads were made from more of the waste pipe with a pad of foam. Springs were made by winding a paper-clip around the brass tube. Initially the brass was glued to platforms of waste pipe that were attached with Superglue to the instrument, but this didn’t prove to be long lasting. The next approach was Araldite and in the end I used brass brackets and then re-enforced areas with Araldite. Working out the key locations, I realised that I should have located the holes differently which would have made keying easier, but this was a prototype after all.

Long before I reached the end of the keying, I realised that it was not going to work. My approach to the keys had created keys that were too flexible with too much movement in them. Also, while the diameter tube was the same as my bass recorder, it didn’t work for the lower notes; the harmonics took over.

The above post was drafted back in May and since then I have explored manufacturing alternate keys, more along the lines of a clarinet key. This has been more successful and at some point I will return to my second prototype. I already have the hole positions calculated for a different pipe size that will make it more practical to key.