Observed vibration patterns of clarinet reeds.

Abstract

It has been shown that a resonance of the reed contributes significantly to the playing behavior of the single-reed woodwind [S. C. Thompson, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 66, 1299–1307 (1979)]. As an extended object, the reed is actually expected to possess many resonances, and these have been predicted in FEA calculations [D. Casadonte, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 94, 1807(A) (1993)] and observed in vibration spectra of isolated reeds [D. H. Keefe and S. Waeffler, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 94, 1833–1834(A) (1993)]. The current study used holographic interferometry to identify the vibration patterns of a clarinet reed mounted on a mouthpiece, as driven by an acoustic field internal to the mouthpiece. Without a player’s lips to shorten the vibrating section, the lowest frequency and most easily driven resonance is in the region 1500 to 2000 Hz and corresponds to the lowest mode of a rod clamped at one end. The second and third resonances are near 4000 Hz. The second mode displays twisting motion, but with a surprising degree of asymmetry, while the third mode is similar to the second mode of a rod clamped at one end.

Study of the Mechanical Behaviour of a Clarinet Reed Under Forced and Auto-oscillations With Digital Fresnel Holography

“…When looking at the pattern of high frequency (especially that at 8500 Hz) it is clear that the reed is an orthotropic material in which the transverse young modulus is much lower than the longitudinal one. Present results are consistent with that of other authors [18, 19]. Such measurements, in forced oscillation are valuable because they allow the comparison with numerical simulation.…”

“…The role of the lowest reed resonance frequency in sound production by single‐reed instruments was established in the past [17]. Classical holography has been used to locate the corresponding frequencies and to image their vibration patterns [18–21]. In these works, some vibration modes were reported and found to be similar to the one‐dimensional modes of a cantilevered beam.…”

Musical quality assessment of clarinet reeds using optical holography

“…1 The acoustical significance of the reed's higher vibrational modes has been partly identified for a clarinet reed. 2,3 Holography has been used to locate the corresponding frequencies and to image their vibrational patterns. Some vibrational modes were reported that are similar to the one-dimensional modes of a cantilevered beam.…”