Re: Reed sound, where does it come from?

["IronMan Mike Curtis" <ironman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

It's not the vibrating reed itself that makes the sound, not in the same
manner as a vibrating surface such as an acoustic guitar top or loudspeaker
(the reed is much too tiny for this to be effective).  It's that it's
chopping the air flowing through the reed slot, and to a large extent this
chopped air vibrating the air inside our mouths and respiratory systems.  A
resonant player will therefore have a *much* louder and fuller sound, just
as a set of vibes sounds much fuller and fatter than a xylophone (the
vibraphone has resonators under each bar.

BTW plinking the reed is probably not the best way to tune a harp.  I find
that the pitch tends to be somewhat different when I play or plink.  Get a
couple of clamps to hold the reeds and comb together, then play the note to
check tuning.

- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Blunt White" <playharp@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, February 20, 2003 6:10 PM
Subject: Reed sound, where does it come from?


>
> I recently noticed this when I was in the process of tuning a harp (I
don't
> tune harps this way I just had the harp apart at that moment) I had the
harp
> apart (plates not attached to the comb) I noticed that when I "plinked" a
> reed that less sound comes from the side that the reeds are riveted on as
> shown by having to hold the reed plate much closer to the tuning meter mic
> to have the meter pick up enough volume to register.  If I "plinked" it
with
> the other side facing the tuner I could hold it much further away before
it
> stopped registering.   Does the sound generated by the free swinging reed
> come from both sides or only one side of the reed plate?
>
> Any thoughts?
>
> Blunt
>
>
>
>
>
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