Reed Vibration, Bore Acoustics & Overtone Series
Every wind instrument is a physics laboratory. A clarinet reed oscillates thousands of times per second, driven by the interplay of air pressure and elastic restoring force. A trumpet player’s lips buzz at precise frequencies shaped by the Bernoulli effect. A flute’s tone emerges from an air jet splitting across a sharp edge. Explore standing waves in pipes, the harmonic series, cylindrical versus conical bore acoustics, brass valve mechanics, and more—each demo with real-time sound synthesis and interactive controls.
Standing waves, harmonic series, and the physics that underpin all wind instruments.
Visualize pressure and displacement standing waves in open and closed pipes. Adjust harmonic number, pipe length, and hear each mode.
Mix up to 8 harmonics with individual amplitude sliders. See the composite waveform, spectrum bars, and musical intervals. Presets for clarinet, flute, and oboe timbres.
Side-by-side comparison of cylindrical (clarinet) and conical (saxophone) bore acoustics. See why one overblows at the twelfth and the other at the octave.
How sound begins: reed vibration, lip buzz, and air jet oscillation.
Model single-reed (clarinet) and double-reed (oboe, bassoon) oscillation as a damped harmonic oscillator driven by blowing pressure and lip force.
Watch an air jet oscillate across the labium edge. Adjust jet velocity, flue width, and distance. Toggle vortex visualization and see the acoustic feedback loop.
Visualize brass lip vibration driven by lung pressure and Bernoulli suction. Adjust lip tension, air pressure, and aperture for trumpet, trombone, horn, or tuba.
From individual pipe ranks to brass valve mechanics and full ensemble spectral analysis.
Press virtual valves on trumpet, French horn, or tuba. See how each valve adds tubing length and lowers pitch by precise semitone intervals.
Click pipes in a full chromatic rank to hear them. Switch between Principal, Flute, String, and Reed stops with tin, lead, or wood material.
Explore the drone produced by a slightly conical bore with irregular walls. Shape the timbre with vocal tract formants and see the circular breathing cycle.
Toggle 9 wind instruments on and off to compare their spectral fingerprints, harmonic envelopes, and waveform shapes side by side with audio.