REED. In music, a thin strip of cane, wood, or metal secured at one end in front of an aper ture, through which a current of air passing sets it in vibration. The vibrations thus started are either communicated to an inclosed column of air. or are released into the open air, in either event producing a musical sound. The reed is of two kinds, the beating reed and free reed, The former is used in the reed-pipes of an organ (q.v.), and requires to be placed within a tube in order to produce a musical sound. It con sists of a metallic cylinder. with the front part cut away, and a brass spring or tongue placed against the opening and attached at the upper end. The resultant note is dependent for its pitch on the length of the tongue, which is regu lated by a strong spring of wire pressing against it. The quality of the sound is determined to a large extent by the length and form of the pipe in which the reed is placed. The double reed
consists of two beating reeds striking against each other. The free reed differs from the beat ing reed in that the tongue is a little smaller than the opening, and strikes, not the edge of the opening. but the air. Its note is more smooth and mellow than that of the beating reed, and it has the advantage of not requiring a pipe, which is a necessary appendage to the latter. Besides being occasionally adapted to Organ-pipes. it is used without a pipe in the concertina and har monium. The history of the beating reed can be traced back to the earliest known civilizations; the single form is now represented by the clari net, chalumeau, and saxophone; while the double form is now seen in the krumborn, oboe, and bassoon. The free reed was introduced into Europe in the eighteenth century, its prototype being the Chinese eheng. See .Al'uslc.o. 31ENTS.