Abstract
We present FlueBricks, a construction kit for acoustic reasoning via building and customizing flute-like instruments. By assembling generator, resonator, and connector modules that embody various aeroacoustic properties, users gain deeper understanding of how blowhole, tube length, and tone-hole placement alter onset, pitch, and timbre through hands-on experimentation. This forms a designer-player loop of configuring and playing to form, test, and refine acoustic behaviors-acoustic reasoning-shifting acoustic instruments from static artifacts to dynamic systems. To understand how users engage with this system, we conducted an exploratory study with 12 participants ranging from novices to professional musicians. During their explorations, we observed participants fluently switching between designer and player roles, scaffolding designs from familiar instruments, forming and refining their acoustic understanding of length, tone holes, and generator geometry, reinterpreting modules beyond their intended functions, and using their creations for performative acts such as pedagogical showing and musical expression. These collectively demonstrated FlueBricks's potential as a pedagogical tool for embodied acoustic reasoning.
Abstract (translated)
我们推出FlueBricks，这是一种通过搭建和定制类长笛乐器来进行声学推理的构建套件。用户通过组装具有不同气动声学特性的发声器、共鸣器和连接模块，能够通过动手实验更深入地理解吹孔、管长和音孔位置如何影响起音、音高和音色。这形成了一个设计者-演奏者循环：通过配置与演奏来形成、测试和精炼声学行为——即声学推理——从而将声学乐器从静态制品转变为动态系统。为了解用户如何与这一系统互动，我们开展了一项探索性研究，招募了12名从初学者到专业音乐家的参与者。在探索过程中，我们观察到参与者能自如切换设计者与演奏者角色，借鉴现有乐器进行设计，形成并完善对管长、音孔和发声器几何结构的声学理解，突破模块预设功能进行再诠释，并将创作用于教学演示和音乐表达等表演性实践。这些现象共同证明了FlueBricks作为具身声学推理教学工具的潜力。
URL
https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.03636
