Free reed aerophone Created 2026-10-31 Updated 2026-11-05
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A free reed aerophone produces sound when airflow drives an elastic tongue that moves through a closely fitting opening. Pressure and reed motion interact, repeatedly changing the available flow area and sustaining oscillation.
The reed's inertia and effective spring constant set a mechanical frequency scale; coupling to the surrounding air changes the actual oscillation and its onset. A pressure-driven reed mounted over a small chamber provides a concrete experiment: optical motion measurements can be compared with the recorded acoustic wave. Initial motion need not already have the steady periodic oscillation. [ref]
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