The integration of physics, music, and mathematics has long been used to increase students’ interest and motivation in these subjects. For example, previous articles in this journal have shown how to teach physical concepts in a musical context, use a smartphone to check the resonant frequencies of whistles, use a smartphone to examine the spectra of sounds, and apply Fourier analysis to the study of musical intervals. This article is devoted to the audio recordings analysis of saxophone sounds, violin, guitar, piano, hand bell, and ocarina in the Audacity editor. The purpose of this analysis is to determine the amplitude-frequency structures of musical notes and obtain information for the classroom about the physical characteristics of musical instruments and some playing techniques.

Topics
Musical note, Musical instruments, Animal sounds, Computer software, Fourier analysis, Students, Teaching, Educator, Scholarly publishing, Journal
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All audio recordings discussed in this article were saved in WAV files and are available for download at https://drive.google.com/open?id=1HL01sEdNAH9cTgWWcfkJrO_sWbB63lRU. They will be helpful to teachers and students trying to replicate examples. The additional folder contains audio recordings of musical sounds played on synthesizers and such musical instruments as clarinet, flute, and trumpet. These and other recordings can be used in laboratory work to identify a sounding note or chord, to identify differences in the methods of generating sound with digital and analog synthesizers. The prospects should be considered in the context of educational and research STEM projects, for example, “The influence of materials and types of guitar picks on the sound spectral characteristics,” “Spectral analysis as a tool for assessing of the sound quality of musical instruments,” etc.
© 2022 Author(s). Published under an exclusive license by American Association of Physics Teachers.
2022
Author(s)
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