Investigations of double reed behviour using high speed photography

In a double reed musical wind instrument the blades of the reed act as a valve effect source, periodically modulating the flow of air into the instrument. The vibration frequency of the reed blades, which determines the frequency of the played note, is strongly influenced by the resonance frequencies of the air column inside the pipe of the instrument. Resonances of the cavity upstream of the reed (the player's windway or a windcap) can also modify the vibration behaviour of the reeds. The coupling between the reed and the upstream and downstream resonances has been investigated using high speed video recording of reed vibration, together with pressure measurements before and after the reed.