Measurement setup for articulatory transient differences in woodwind performance

Abstract

To model transient differences caused by varying articulation techniques on single-reed woodwind instruments, human performances have to be measured and analyzed. In a previous study, we investigated differences between tongued and air-separated tones on a saxophone by monitoring inner mouthpiece pressure, mouth pressure, and reed bending during performance. Some of the observed effects (e.g., damping and displacement of the reed) were applied to a physical model. Although tip-opening is an essential parameter of lumped reed models, we were only able to directly compare our measurements to the model by inner mouthpiece air-pressure. In this study, we aim to relate measurable reed-bending to the resulting tip-opening and also determine the sensor-reed's stiffness. A micro-mechanical characterization test system records the static and dynamic mechanical data of the sensor-equipped reeds. Pull and tensile measurements are used to reveal the relation between reed bending and tip opening and will increase our understanding of quasi-static properties of the reed-mouthpiece system. This allows conclusions about the tip opening behavior at transient emergence in expressive single-reed woodwind performance.