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An Instrumental Case

Curious CasesSeries 13
Episode 3 of 6

4 Extra Debut. Why do instruments sound different? Science sleuths Drs Rutherford and Fry investigate. From April 2019.

“We play many musical instruments in our family. Lots of them produce the same pitch of notes, but the instruments all sound different. Why is this?” asks Natasha Cook aged 11, and her Dad Jeremy from Guelph in Ontario, Canada.

For this instrumental case Hannah and Adam are joined by the Curious Cases band - Matt Chandler and Wayne Urquhart - to play with today's question.

Bringing the science we have acoustic engineer and saxophone player Trevor Cox. Plus materials expert Zoe Laughlin demonstrates a selection of her unusual musical creations, including a lead bugle.

Presenters: Adam Rutherford, Hannah Fry
Producer: Michelle Martin

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2019.

Available now

39 minutes

Last on

Thu 20 Jan 202221:45
BBC Radio 4 Extra

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Broadcasts

  • Wed 17 Apr 201909:30
    BBC Radio 4
  • Sat 20 Apr 201905:45
    BBC Radio 4
  • Sun 16 Jan 202210:45
    BBC Radio 4 Extra
  • Sun 16 Jan 202221:45
    BBC Radio 4 Extra
  • Thu 20 Jan 202211:45
    BBC Radio 4 Extra
  • Thu 20 Jan 202221:45
    BBC Radio 4 Extra

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