Abstract
The reed is the primary component in single-reed woodwind instruments to generate the sound. The airflow of the player’s mouth is the energy source and the airflow is modulated by the reed. The oscillations of the reed control the airflow. Traditionally, instrument reeds are made out of natural cane (Arundo Donax), but in efforts to overcome variability problems, synthetic reeds have been introduced. Previous investigations mainly focused on natural cane reeds and direct elasticity measurements did not discriminate between elasticity moduli along different directions. In order to obtain the mechanical properties along the direction of the reed fibres and in the orthogonal direction separately, a three-point bending testing setup was developed, which accommodates the small samples that can be cut from an instrument reed. Static moduli of elasticity were acquired in both directions. Much higher ratios between longitudinal and transversal moduli were seen in the natural cane reed as compared to the artificial reeds. Wet natural reeds showed a strong decrease in moduli of elasticity as compared to dry reeds. Elasticity was significantly higher in artificial reeds. The force–displacement curves of the wet natural reed show hysteresis, whereas the artificial materials did not. In the cane reed, higher energy losses were found in the transversal direction compared to the longitudinal direction
Highlights
In single-reed instruments such as the clarinet and saxophone, the source of the sound is formed by periodic motions of the tip of the reed, which is driven into oscillation by an airstream
The results show that the measured force in the longitudinal direction was for all four materials larger than the transversal direction showing the anisotropic properties of the different materials
Besides the Hollow Fiber Foamresin Compound (HFC) material, the Carbon Fiberreed contained carbon fibres mimicking the fibres of the natural cane
Summary
In single-reed instruments such as the clarinet and saxophone, the source of the sound is formed by periodic motions of the tip of the reed, which is driven into oscillation by an airstream. The overpressure in the mouth generates an airstream passing through the small slit between the tip of the reed and the mouthpiece. When the flow is high enough, the negative Bernoulli pressure causes the reed to bend further towards the mouthpiece, decreasing the flow when air pressure in the mouth is increased. This effect corresponds to a negative hydrodynamic resistance, which is the source of energy to drive the reed in periodic, usually non-harmonic motion. In the direction along the long axis of the mouthpiece, Materials 2020, 13, 4566; doi:10.3390/ma13204566 www.mdpi.com/journal/materials
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