Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 4-5-2020 Instrument Construction: An Examination of the Effect of Lead Pipe Design Variability on Tuba Response Larry James Heard Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations Part of the Music Performance Commons, and the Other Music Commons Recommended Citation Heard, Larry James, "Instrument Construction: An Examination of the Effect of Lead Pipe Design Variability on Tuba Response" (2020). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 5205. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/5205 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please [email protected]. INSTRUMENT CONSTRUCTION: AN EXAMINATION OF THE EFFECT OF LEAD PIPE DESIGN VARIABILITY ON TUBA RESPONSE A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in The College of Music and Dramatic Arts by Larry James Heard B.M.E., Southeastern Louisiana University, 2011 M.M., Louisiana State University, 2013 May 2020 For Peanut, I began this journey to inspire you, and in your memory, I complete it. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many thanks go to Dr. Joseph Skillen for his help in guiding me through my tutelage as a player and scholar. My first interactions with him began many years before the inception of this written study, and he has been supremely influential in my growth as a musician, teacher, and as a life-long seeker of knowledge. He has given me the necessary tools and motivation to help me realize and manifest an appropriate topic for this document that would also be the most meaningful to my current interests, as well as my research goals for the future. Not only has he been impactful as an instructor and advisor, but—for me—he has been a model of leadership through optimism, kindness, and immense understanding. In addition, I must not forget other important individuals who served on my doctoral defense committee: Professor Carlos Riazuelo, Dr. Matthew Vangjel, and Dr. Chun Yang. I thank them for their support, as well as for being available and open to work with me throughout this process. Finally, I owe my most sincere thanks to my family for always being there to build me up through years of challenges. There is no possible way to measure the amount of gratitude I have for them. They truly are the most important blessing in my life. To my sisters: You both are my daily inspiration, and you always have been. Thank you for encouraging me with your example and your respect. To my mother: You were right. You always are. Thank you for always believing in the part of me that I could never fabricate or toss aside. Through considerable pain and suffering, you showed me, from an early age, how to never give up, and how to smile through the tears. To my wife: You hold up my hands. You are strongest when I am at my weakest. Thank you for always cheering me on, and finding ways to remind me of my purpose. I am blessed that our steps have been guided to this point together. To my son: Don’t believe the obstacles. You can do anything. Thank you for being a gift, and an answer to many prayers. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS…………………………………………………………....................iii LIST OF TABLES………………………………………………………………………………...v LIST OF FIGURES…………………………………………………………………………........vi ABSTRACT.................................................................................................................................viii INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1 CHAPTER 1. METHODOLGY……………………………………………………….…….......12 CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW………………………………….…………………..…18 CHAPTER 3. THOUGHTS BEFORE RESEARCH....................................................................43 CHAPTER 4. SUMMARY OF INTERVIEWS............................................................................46 CHAPTER 5. INSTRUMENT AND LEAD PIPE VARIABILITY TESTS................................53 CHAPTER 6. DISCUSSION.........................................................................................................87 CHAPTER 7. CONCLUSIONS....................................................................................................92 APPENDIX A. TRANSCRIPTION OF INTERVIEWS..............................................................96 APPENDIX B. AUDIENCE PERSPECTIVE SURVEY MATERIALS AND RESULTS..............................................................................................................120 APPENDIX C. IRB APPROVAL...............................................................................................124 APPENDIX D. GLOSSARY OF TERMS..................................................................................125 REFERENCES............................................................................................................................129 VITA............................................................................................................................................132 iv LIST OF TABLES 1. Survey Scores for Holton with Original ...........................................................................82 2. Survey Scores for Holton with Alternate ..........................................................................82 v LIST OF FIGURES 2.1. Formula for Power Efficiency...........................................................................................22 2.2. Formula for Dependency on Frequency............................................................................23 2.3. Formula for Theoretical Efficiency of Brass Instruments.................................................23 2.4. Graph for Length of Cylindrical Tubing...........................................................................32 2.5. Brassiness Curves..............................................................................................................33 3.1. Similar Lead Pipe Design..................................................................................................44 3.1a. Similar Lead Pipe Design Continued.................................................................................44 5.1. Spectrogram Analysis Experiment Setup..........................................................................57 5.2. Peak Amplitudes for C on Holton with Original Lead Pipe.............................................61 2 5.2a. Peak Amplitudes for C on Holton with Alternate Lead Pipe...........................................62 2 5.2b. Peak Amplitudes for C on Kanstul...................................................................................63 2 5.2c. Peak Amplitudes Stacked Comparison..............................................................................64 5.3. Spectrogram Reading for C on Holton with Original Lead Pipe.....................................66 2 5.3a. Spectrogram Reading for C on Holton with Alternate Lead Pipe....................................67 2 5.3b. Spectrogram Reading for C on Kanstul............................................................................68 2 5.3c. Spectrogram Reading for C Comparison.........................................................................69 2 5.4. Peak Amplitudes for G on Kanstul..........................................................................................70 2 5.4a. Peak Amplitudes for G on Holton with Original Lead Pipe............................................71 2 5.4b. Peak Amplitudes for G on Holton with Alternate Lead Pipe...........................................72 2 5.4c. Peak Amplitudes for G Stacked Comparison...................................................................73 2 5.5. Spectrogram Reading for G on Kanstul...........................................................................75 2 vi 5.5a. Spectrogram Reading for G on Holton with Original Lead Pipe ....................................76 2 5.5b. Spectrogram Reading for G on Holton with Alternate Lead Pipe ...................................77 2 5.5c. Spectrogram Reading for G Comparison.........................................................................78 2 5.6. Spectrogram Reading for Mouthpiece Pops Comparison..................................................79 5.6a. Dramatic Spectrogram Reading for Mouthpiece Pops Comparison..................................80 5.7. Spectrogram Reading of Excerpt Performance on Holton (Original)...............................83 5.7a. Spectrogram Reading of Excerpt Performance on Holton (Alternate)..............................84 5.7b. Spectrogram Reading of Excerpt Performance Comparison.............................................85 B.1. Materials – Response Sheets............................................................................................120 B.2. Materials – Ode to Joy Arrangement Excerpt..................................................................121 B.2a. Materials – Ode to Joy Arrangement Excerpt Manuscript..............................................122 B.3. Materials – Detailed Results of Audience Survey Scores...............................................123 D.1.