How do reed instruments produce sound?

Reed instruments produce sound when a player’s breath causes a reed—a thin blade of cane or metal—to vibrate, which in turn sets up a sound wave in an air column.1

The mechanism of vibration depends on the type of reed:

• Single reeds: In instruments like the clarinet, a single reed is attached to a mouthpiece. As the player blows, the thin end of the reed vibrates, alternately opening and closing the space between the reed and the mouthpiece.2
• Double reeds: In instruments like the oboe or bassoon, two blades of cane are bound together. The opening between these blades alternately opens and closes under breath pressure to generate pulsations within the instrument's tube.2
• Free reeds: In instruments such as the accordion, the reed vibrates freely through a closely fitting frame rather than beating against a mouthpiece or another blade.1

In most reed pipes, the length of the enclosed air column determines the pitch, while the shape of the bore influences the instrument's timbre.1