Instructional Video

Why It's Impossible to Tune a Piano

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

Explore the physics of tuning most musical instruments. The video instructor explains the pitches of string and wind instruments with an emphasis on the sound waves. After discussing the ratios between pitches, it compares harmonics and equal-tempered tuning. Scholars learn that when tuned, a piano is really just consistently out of tune!

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Additional Tags
Instructional Ideas
  • Create an interdisciplinary lesson with the fine arts department
  • Use a graphic organizer to record the different pitch waves and ratios between them
Classroom Considerations
  • Expects a basic understanding of sound waves
  • This video is hosted on YouTube
Pros
  • Sketches add clarity to the concept
  • Short length helps maintain attention throughout the video
Cons
  • None