The Clarinet Reed: AN Introduction to its Biology, Chemistry, and Physics
Abstract
Although clarinet reeds have been used for over two-hundred years, there has been little scientific study of the reed, either from a material science or engineering perspective. This document is intended to be the first large-scale study of the clarinet reed covering its biology, chemistry and physics. The reed is made, most often, from cane--Arundo donax. We present a complete atlas of the anatomy of Arundo donax, and examine the role of each of the cellular components in the clarinet reed performance. We examine the three principal chemical components of the processed clarinet reed: cellulose, xylan, and lignin through the use of instrumental analysis. We examine the breakdown pathways of the clarinet reed, and isolate five: (1) decrystallization of the cellulose microstructure, (2) removal of xylan by saliva, (3) plasticization of the reed material due to alkalai attack in saliva, (4) the culturing of a bacterium, Staph Epidermitis, in the cell wall matrix, (5) density changes due to salival coating of the reed. The physics of the reed is examined, and a finite element model of the modal shapes is presented. We present a theoretical treatment of the two modes of excitation of the reed, a low frequency mode (normal playing mode) due to vortex shedding, and a high frequency mode which is associated with reed squeak.
- Publication:
-
Ph.D. Thesis
- Pub Date:
- 1995
- Bibcode:
- 1995PhDT.......186C
- Keywords:
-
- ARUNDO DONAX;
- STAPHYLOCOCCUS EPIDERMIDIS;
- Music; Biology: Plant Physiology; Physics: Acoustics