Author: Dan Shusta
Date: 2020-11-10 12:29
Disclaimer: All of the below are simply my opinions, guesses, perceptions, etc.
KDK wrote: "What is the correspondence of the reed's vibrating mode to those of the air column?" I had some trouble with that question, so I changed it slightly to: "What is the correlation of the reed's vibrating mode to those of the air column?" Well, because the reed can only initiate a vibrating column of air on the upward bend of the reed, at that point in time, the correlation is the same. However, this sameness can be changed by making adjustments to the reed. The tone may change, however, I still maintain that the correlation of the two is still the same. Even though an adjustment of the reed may change a specific harmonic level, it is still the upward swing of the reed which sets the column of air vibrating. It is in the upward swing that the reed acts as the "provocateur that causes the air column to split into harmonics."
Now, what happens when the vibrating air column causes the reed to swing downward? At this point in time, the reed simply "reacts to the air column's vibrations that are determined by the instrument's length and venting."
So, from my point of view, the reed has a two fold function: 1) as a provocateur and 2) as a passive reactor.
Obviously, any change or adjustment to a reed is going to change it's mode of operation. The easiest way that I know of to get the precise tone that you are striving for is to have a look at the clarinet's tone on an audio spectrum analyzer. Any change a player makes to his or her reed is going to change the strength of various harmonics, or, possibly, even a specific harmonic output.
All of the above may be totally erroneous, however, that how I analyze it.
p.s. The bold was included to denote KDK's wording.
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The Clarinet BBoard
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