Design, construction, and analysis of ukuleles as a method for teaching on the acoustic properties of stringed instruments

Abstract

This presentation will discuss an undergraduate course taught at Catholic University where the primary learning objective was for the students to understand how the design characteristics of a stringed instrument effects its acoustic properties. Previous student-led design projects have researched the acoustic properties of stringed instruments, notably guitars and five-string banjos, but no formal course has ever been offered on the subject. Further, all previous investigations utilized commercially available instruments as the test subjects, and thus, were limited in the design characteristics available to test. The course combined hands-on education about the construction of ukuleles, with subsequent measurement and analysis of the acoustic properties. Ukuleles were chosen as the test subject due to their simplicity compared to other stringed instruments, which allowed students with various levels of shop experience to participate in relevant aspects of lutherie. The ukuleles featured both conventional and non-conventional design characteristics, and were constructed with both traditional and non-traditional methods. Upon completion of the course, the students constructed nine different ukuleles, collected a large set of acoustic data, and completed preliminary analyses of the various instruments. Interest in the subject has persisted beyond the course, and several research projects on the subject have resulted.