Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How does a flute produce sound when air strikes a sharp edge?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
wind instrument
The Japanese end-blown flute, or shakuhachi.
A flute produces sound through a process known as edge-tone generation. When a player directs a stream of air against a sharp edge, the air is split, which creates pressure changes within the instrument's enclosed air column.12
These pressure variations propagate down the tube and reflect off the ends, creating a feedback loop that forces the air stream to oscillate back and forth across the edge. This oscillation reinforces the vibration at the resonant frequency of the tube, establishing a standing wave that produces a clear, sustained pitch. Unlike reed instruments, where the reed itself vibrates to generate pulses, the air column in a flute drives the air stream, and the instrument does not require a reed to function.231