Attack transients on lip reed instruments

The generation of sound in a lip reed (brass) instrument relies on a non‐linear coupling between two vibrating systems: the lips of the player, and the air column contained by the walls of the instrument. The nature of this coupling has been studied by filming the motion of the lips of a number of players using a specially constructed transparent mouthpiece, while simultaneously recording the pressure in the mouthpiece and at the bell of the instrument. Attention has been focused on the attack transient, and the way in which its duration and evolution depend on the extent to which the air column modes are harmonically related. For this reason the instrument chosen was the serpent; on this instrument certain fingerings give air column modes whose relationship is close to harmonic, while other fingerings give strikingly inharmonic air column modes. The relationship between measurements of transient character and judgements of the playability or responsiveness of the instrument will be discussed.