Inverse Doppler Effects in Flute

TL;DR

This paper reports the experimental observation of inverse Doppler effects in a flute, revealing that all seven pitches exhibit frequency shifts opposite to the classical Doppler effect, which may explain the instrument's enduring popularity.

Contribution

It provides the first experimental verification of inverse Doppler effects in a musical instrument, specifically a flute, across all its pitches.

Findings

Inverse Doppler effect observed in all seven pitches of a flute

Higher tones show greater frequency shifts

Potential insights into the flute's historical popularity

Abstract

Here we report the observation of the inverse Doppler effects in a flute. It is experimentally verified that, when there is a relative movement between the source and the observer, the inverse Doppler effect could be detected for all seven pitches of a musical scale produced by a flute. Higher tone is associated with a greater shift in frequency. The effect of the inverse frequency shift may provide new insights into why the flute, with its euphonious tone, has been popular for thousands of years in Asia and Europe.