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Music Project Ideas (35 results)

While everyone else is paying attention to what they see, maybe you're focusing on what you can hear. Tune in to these music science fair project ideas to explore the physics of sound, musical instruments, and even how people respond when they hear music.

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Science Fair Project Idea
What is the highest note you can sing? How about the lowest? Do you think males and females can reach the same notes? How about children and adults? Find out the answers to all these questions in this "note"-worthy science fair project! Read more
Music_p027
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- Less Details
Time Required Short (2-5 days)
Prerequisites To do this science fair project, you will need to know which key is Middle C on your piano or keyboard, have a friend or family member show you which key is Middle C, or use a piano that has Middle C labeled. See the Experimental Procedure tab for more details.
Material Availability This science fair project requires access to a piano, keyboard, or virtual piano (available online). See the Materials tab for details.
Cost Very Low (under $20)
Safety No issues
Science Fair Project Idea
For centuries, beautiful bell towers, like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, have been the center of village life, announcing the time of day, the joy of weddings, and the sorrow of funerals. They were also used to call villagers to action in times of danger. Have you ever wondered, though, why people put the bells in towers? The bells are so heavy, why haul them all the way up to the top of tall towers? Why not just ring them on the ground? Putting bells up high does make for a dramatic visual… Read more
Music_p019
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- Less Details
Time Required Short (2-5 days)
Prerequisites Access to a multi-level home or building with windows on the ground and upper floors, and without external sources of noise, like traffic.
Material Availability Readily available
Cost Low ($20 - $50)
Safety You should never lean out of a window and should have an adult with you if you need to try this science fair project away from home. Adult supervision is recommended.
Science Fair Project Idea
Have you ever bitten into a thick, fragrant casserole and tasted the layers of flavor? Or maybe you've licked of a vanilla ice cream cone and thought, "This is so pure, simple, and refreshing!" These observations about the taste of the food are also comments on its texture—the casserole is complex and thick, and the vanilla ice cream cone is simple and thin. You might not realize it, but sound can also have texture. In this music science fair project, you'll learn how to "taste" the… Read more
Music_p031
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- Less Details
Time Required Average (6-10 days)
Prerequisites Access to a computer with an Internet connection will make this science fair project easier.
Material Availability Readily available
Cost Very Low (under $20)
Safety No issues
Science Fair Project Idea
A concert piano. It's a beautiful instrument and a spectacular sight when it's all set up on stage. The first thing you may notice when you first look at a concert piano is the impressive-looking soundboard, that large board on the back of the piano that is tilted up at an angle. It is used for amplification. The sound board greatly increases the volume of sound coming from vibrations of the strings. The soundboard is positioned so that it gathers the sound vibrations coming from the strings… Read more
Music_p022
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- Less Details
Time Required Average (6-10 days)
Prerequisites You must have a classical guitar and a personal computer with a microphone, or a tape recorder with a visual display of input signals.
Material Availability Readily available
Cost Very Low (under $20)
Safety No issues
Science Fair Project Idea
You've probably heard the phrase, "practice makes perfect" more times than you care to remember, but is it actually true when you use a music game as your practice for real-life singing, strumming, or drumming? You can design a science fair project to discover the answer! First, you'll need to think about how to measure how well someone is playing or singing a song in real life. Using the test you design, measure several musicians' ability to play or sing a few different songs. Then have your… Read more
Music_p023
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- Less Details
Time Required Average (6-10 days)
Prerequisites None
Material Availability You'll need access to a game console and a music video game like Guitar Hero or Rock Band.
Cost Very Low (under $20)
Safety No issues
Science Fair Project Idea
Did you know that your guitar has a secret? Yes, that's right—hidden along each string are special places where you can play harmonics and make your guitar sound like a bell! In this music science fair project, you'll find out where the main harmonics are located on a guitar, and then see how those locations are related to the length of the strings. So get out your guitar—it's time to ring in a science fair project! Read more
Music_p030
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- Less Details
Time Required Very Short (≤ 1 day)
Prerequisites None
Material Availability Access to an acoustic guitar is required.
Cost Very Low (under $20)
Safety No issues
Science Fair Project Idea
Have you ever noticed that hip-hop songs have a fast tempo, while country ballads are usually slow? Do you think there is a correlation between the number of beats per minute (bpm) in a song and the type of music? You can explore whether different genres of music have different bpm ranges by measuring the bpm in several different songs from a number of different genres. Bpm can be measured using free music software, like the one listed below in the Bibliography, or by counting all the beats you… Read more
Music_p017
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- Less Details
Time Required Average (6-10 days)
Prerequisites None
Material Availability Free software can be downloaded to help measure the beats per minute in songs. See the Bibliography for more details.
Cost Very Low (under $20)
Safety No issues
Science Fair Project Idea
Lights and music make a great combination! Getting sound and lights to complement each other just right helps set the mood for everything from DJ parties and concerts, to theater shows, the circus, and ballet performances. You can put together your own lights and music show using the . Check out the video to see what this simple, but fun, project looks like: This project requires the use of a tiny computer called a Raspberry Pi and is fun and easy for even complete beginners. By… Read more
CompSci_p053
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- Less Details
Time Required Very Short (≤ 1 day)
Prerequisites None
Material Availability
Cost Very High (over $150)
Safety No issues
Science Fair Project Idea
Don't you just love listening to music? In the 1980s, people listened to music on the Sony® Walkman®. Now, people listen to their favorite tunes on MP3 players and on their Apple® iPhonesTM. But listening to music on devices actually started in the late 1800s and early 1900s. In those days, people would gather around their phonograph to listen to their favorite tunes—people were just as amazed with the phonograph as you would be to handle an iPhone. In this physics science… Read more
Music_p032
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- Less Details
Time Required Short (2-5 days)
Prerequisites None
Material Availability To find old vinyl record albums, you might have to visit thrift shops and secondhand stores. Refer to the Materials and Equipment list for more details.
Cost Low ($20 - $50)
Safety Exercise caution when using, handling, and attaching the sewing needle to the membrane.
Science Fair Project Idea
Walk into a fitness club and what kind of music do you hear? Slow, sparkling, relaxing music? Or driving, "up-tempo" songs that are designed to encourage you to move? Fitness clubs and other businesses, like restaurants and grocery stores, use background music to set the mood and to determine how fast they want their customers to move. The tempo of the background music is a key component to the environment that businesses want to create. Tempo is an important number or word inscribed by a… Read more
Music_p033
+ More Details
- Less Details
Time Required Long (2-4 weeks)
Prerequisites None
Material Availability Readily available
Cost Very Low (under $20)
Safety No issues
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